Freshman Mathew Zhang

What was your initial reaction to hearing news of the events that transpired at the Capitol building on Wednesday?

“Well I thought it was pretty outrageous because Donald Trump has been saying the election was “stolen.” And then [his supporters] breached the Capitol, and it’s unexpected because the Capitol is supposed to have tight security and a bunch of protesters just broke through. I mean that’s not supposed to happen.”

Would you consider the people who entered the building protestors, rioters or something different?

“I mean they technically think they are protestors, but I think they are rioters. Some people think they are terrorists although I do not know the full details. I do know they are at least rioters not protesters.”

How do you feel these actions will affect the future of our country and what steps should be taken next by our lawmakers?

“Well this doesn’t reflect very well on Donald Trump. It is also very bad for the Republican Party. Right now the lawmakers are probably deciding how to punish Donald Trump and who to arrest. They will probably be tightening Capitol security.”

Do you believe the 25th Amendment (which states if the President becomes unable to do his job, the Vice President will assume the role of the President) should be exercised in response to the president’s words and actions on the day of the Capitol shutdown?

“Trump only has 2 weeks left in office, so I don’t think it will really affect anything if the 25th Amendment is implemented. I honestly don’t know if it should or should not. I don’t really know if it will have a significant impact on America because Joe Biden’s inauguration is soon, and Donald Trump doesn’t have much else to do.”