THE U.S. Capitol descended into chaos Wednesday as hundreds of pro-Trump protesters swarmed the building, forcing the Senate to evacuate and Vice President Mike Pence to be ushered to a secure location.
The frenzied scene after demonstrators broke through barricades forced Congress to evacuate parts of the building and abruptly pause a ceremonial event affirming that President-elect Joe Biden won the November election. In one dramatic moment, police officers drew their guns as protesters tried to break into the House chamber.
Pence, who was presiding over the joint session of Congress, could be seen rushing out of the Senate chamber amid the sounds of protesters who surrounded the Capitol. Pence and Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, the president pro-tem, were taken to a secure location, a senator told NBC News.
The doors of the Senate were closed and locked, and senators were told to stay away from the doors. The doors to the House were barricaded, and some lawmakers were seen praying. District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser ordered a 12-hour curfew on the city that will begin at 6 p.m. ET.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif, said on Fox News that shots were fired inside the Capitol, adding: “We can disagree but we should not take it to this level. This is unacceptable … You do not do what is happening right now. People are being hurt. This is unacceptable.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was “safe,” a spokesperson said, but they would not elaborate on her whereabouts.
The chaotic situation came after Trump, who has refused to accept the results of the election, spoke to a large crowd in front of the White House. He angriled vowed that he would never concede to Biden and baselessly asserted that the election results were fraudulent.
“We will never give up, we will never concede. You don’t concede when there’s theft involved,” Trump said to a crowd of supporters, some of whom chanted “USA!” or waved anti-Biden banners. He later falsely claimed that Biden would be an “illegitimate” president.
The Library of Congress, directly across the street from the main Capitol building, was evacuated and people were told to remain calm and move in a safe manner to the exits.
“Please support our Capitol Police and Law Enforcement. They are truly on the side of our Country. Stay peaceful!” Trump tweeted.
He later added: “I am asking for everyone at the U.S. Capitol to remain peaceful. No violence! Remember, WE are the Party of Law & Order – respect the Law and our great men and women in Blue. Thank you!”
Rep. Elaine Luria, D-Va., tweeted that she had to evacuate her congressional office because a pipe bomb was reported outside the Capitol. “Supporters of the President are trying to force their way into the Capitol and I can hear what sounds like multiple gunshots,” Luria tweeted.
The Republican National Committee headquarters in Washington, just steps from Capitol Hill, was evacuated earlier Wednesday due to a suspicious package, and investigation was underway.
Trump’s groundless claims of voter fraud have been widely debunked, and his legal team’s efforts to challenge the election results in court have been rejected by a succession of judges. Trump has claimed Wednesday’s joint session of Congress represents a chance to overturn the election, even though state electors have already certified the results and the event inside the Capitol is ceremonial.
Trump has put pressure on Pence to intervene in the count. In his lengthy and digressive remarks, Trump called on Pence to “do the right thing,” even though Pence’s ceremonial role does not provide him with the power to intervene in the counting of votes. Pence sent a letter to Congress ahead of the ceremony stating he would not be doing what Trump has hoped.
Jason Bjorklund, who flew to the nation’s capital from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, said he did not know what to expect when Congress convened.
“I just felt compelled to be here because it seems like our republic is slipping away from us,” Bjorklund said. He added, baselessly, that there were “mountains of evidence of fraud” and detailed conspiracy theories about Dominion voting machines.
When asked to account for the judges who have rejected the Trump legal team’s attempts to challenge the election results, Bjorklund said: “I think we’ve got corruption from the top to the bottom.”
Before the president’s speech, it appeared some senators were being approached by Trump supporters near the Capitol, including an apparently exasperated Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., who said he would not vote against affirming Biden’s victory because he was bound to follow the law.
“I took an oath under God, under God!” Young said. “Do we still take that seriously in this country?”
Theresa Reilly and her husband, Bill, came to the nation’s capital from Michigan — a key Midwest swing state that fell into the Democratic column in November — to participate in the Wednesday protests because they believe Biden’s triumph over Trump was fraudulent.
“We don’t believe they’re honest, true voters,” Theresa Reilly said as Celine Dion’s theme song from the movie “Titanic” played on a speaker system in the background. “There’s a lot of cheating going on, and I think everybody knows that, including Democrats.”
Bill Reilly said that even without “doing too much research,” it was clear “something’s up” with the November election results
“The only thing I can say is, however many people are here, this isn’t going to go away,” he said. “If you thought 2020 was weird, 2021 is going to be ‘hold my beer,’ if you ask me.”
Allan Smith,Ginger Gibson and Pete Williams reported from Washington, and Daniel Arkin from New York – yahoo news)
