Mitch McConnell

McConnell was not the only Republican to castigate Trump for his behavior after voting for acquittal.

Trump last week became the first president in US history to be impeached twice, and when the Senate convenes for his trial will be the first president to be tried after leaving office.

Trump, a Republican, left office on Wednesday and flew to his Florida resort, hours before Democrat Joe Biden was sworn in.

"The mob was fed lies. They were provoked by the president and other powerful people."

The deliberate damages followed Congress’s failure to approve an increase in the amount of money being sent to individuals to help cope with the coronavirus pandemic.

"The Electoral College has spoken," McConnell said on Tuesday morning, before adding he wanted to "congratulate the President-elect Joe Biden" and VP-elect Kamala Harris.

Since early November, McConnell has ignored pressure to acknowledge Biden's victory, saying Trump had the right to pursue legal challenges to the election outcome.

Sen. Mitch McConnell proudly calls himself the “Grim Reaper” because his desk is where Democratic legislation goes to die.

Defeating McConnell has been the Democrats’ second-highest priority.