Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) did not shy away from ascribing blame for the deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, explicitly pointing his finger at President Donald Trump for helping to spur the insurrection by the outgoing president’s supporters.

The Kentucky Republican did not mince words when he spoke Tuesday on the Senate floor: "The mob was fed lies. They were provoked by the president and other powerful people.”

"And they tried to use fear and violence to stop a specific proceeding of the first branch of the federal government which they did not like," he went on to say.

The Senate was presided over by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) at the time of McConnell's speech. Cruz was one of the Senators who challenged the election results on Jan. 6.

McConnell spoke six days after the Democratic-led House impeached Trump on charges of inciting the Jan. 6 attack. A Senate trial on whether to convict Trump and perhaps bar him from ever again holding federal office is expected to begin in coming days.

After years of supporting Trump with little criticism of him, the influential McConnell has said he’s not decided whether he would vote to convict him. His decision may prove critical because in a Senate that will be divided 50-50 between the two parties, it would take 17 Republicans to join all Democrats for the two-thirds margin needed for conviction.

McConnell will be replaced by Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) as majority leader after Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and three new Democratic Senators are sworn in.

Sources told The Associated Press that Harris will deliver the oath of office to Georgia Democrats Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock, as well as her replacement as California’s Senator, Alex Padilla, after she is sworn in as VP Wednesday.

McConnell promised a "safe and successful" inauguration. Joe Biden replaces Trump as president at noon on Wednesday.

The Associated Press contributed to this update.