Ivanka Trump Deletes Tweet Urging 'American Patriots' to Stop Violence

Ivanka Trump tweeted a message calling the rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol "American Patriots" on Wednesday, before deleting the tweet when backlash ensued.

Violent chaos erupted in Washington, D.C. as Congress was meeting to certify President-elect Joe Biden's election win. Ivanka made the tweet after a group supporting her father President Donald Trump breached the Capitol building, describing the group in a seemingly flattering manner while urging them to stop their "unacceptable" behavior.

"American Patriots – any security breach or disrespect to our law enforcement is unacceptable. The violence must stop," Ivanka tweeted.

The tweet was quickly deleted following sharp criticism. CNN correspondent Kate Bennett tweeted a screen capture of the deleted tweet while asking Ivanka to clarify whether she intended to refer to the rioters as "patriots."

"No," Ivanka tweeted in response. "Peaceful protest is patriotic. Violence is unacceptable and must be condemned in the strongest terms."

The breach of the Capitol building began around the same time that the president was tweeting criticism of Vice President Mike Pence when it became clear that he would not work to overturn the election outcome during the certification process, something that he has no authority to do under the Constitution.

The president called for the group to "remain peaceful" after they breached the building but for more than an hour did not answer calls to issue a demand that they leave the area. He later released a video telling the rioters to "go home in peace," but praised the violent group as "very special" while continuing to claim without evidence that the election was "stolen."

Biden condemned the violent security breach calling them "extremists" whose actions border on "sedition."

"The scenes of chaos at the Capitol do not reflect the true America," the president-elect said in a statement. "This is not who we are. What we are seeing is a small number of extremists dedicated to lawlessness. This is not dissent. It is disorder. It is chaos. It borders on sedition."

"And it must end," he added. "Now. I call on this mob to pull back and allow the work of democracy to go forward."

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a close Trump ally, responded to Biden's message by tweeting that he "could not agree more with President-elect Biden's statement to the nation." Other Republicans were also quick to condemn the chaotic scene. Pence tweeted that "this attack on our Capitol will not be tolerated and those involved will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

Newsweek reached out to Ivanka Trump for comment.