Rioting Trump Supporters Stage An Attempted Coup, Breaching The Capitol And Inciting An Armed StandoffA mob of Trump supporters who believe that the election was stolen from the president stormed the Capitol in an act of domestic terrorism. Someone has been shot.
 Molly Hensley-ClancyBuzzFeed News Reporter  Tasneem NashrullaBuzzFeed News Reporter  Addy BairdBuzzFeed News Reporter  Amber JamiesonBuzzFeed News Reporter
Reporting From
Washington, DC
Last updated on January 6, 2021, at 4:04 p.m. ET
Posted on January 6, 2021, at 1:45 p.m. ET
Win Mcnamee / Getty Images
A Trump supporter holds a flag inside the US Capitol Building near the Senate Chamber on January 6, in Washington, DC.
WASHINGTON — Thousands of Donald Trump's supporters have staged an attempted coup at the president’s urging, rioting and breaching the halls of Congress while elected officials were beginning to certify Joe Biden’s presidential election win, gaining access to the floor of the Senate, and inciting an armed standoff with law enforcement in the House of Representatives.
A shot was apparently fired inside the Capitol, according to a witness video posted to social media, which showed a person draped in a Trump flag slumping to the floor. Television cameras captured a person being wheeled from the building on a stretcher, bleeding, with someone compressing her chest.
The act of domestic terrorism, egged on by an aggrieved Trump who refuses to concede an election he has firmly lost, came when his supporters stormed the Capitol Wednesday morning, with many supporters breaking through barricades of police officers and breaching the doors. In a speech where he falsely claimed victory Wednesday morning, Trump urged supporters to “march” to the Capitol in a show of “strength.”
With the insurrection already underway, Trump sent a tweet asking for his supporters at the Capitol to "remain peaceful." He did not ask them to leave the building.
Just before 4 p.m., Congressional Democratic leaders Sen. Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi released a statement pleading with Trump to do more: “We are calling on President Trump to demand that all protestors leave the U.S. Capitol and Capitol Grounds immediately.”
With law enforcement utterly overwhelmed, DC National Guard troops were deployed late Wednesday afternoon to try to control the scene at the Capitol, a Pentagon spokesperson said. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said he would also deploy state troops to help.
Drew Angerer / Getty Images
US Capitol police officers point guns at a door that was vandalized in the House Chamber during a joint session of Congress on Jan. 6.
Footage showed a scene of unprecedented lawlessness and chaos unfolding inside the Capitol — rioters smashing through windows with shields, vandalizing lawmakers’ offices, and replacing the American flag with Trump banners. Rioters were photographed lounging on the platform where, hours earlier, Vice President Mike Pence began the process of certifying the election in favor of Biden.
Lawmakers, staffers, and reporters trapped inside the building were given “escape hoods,” respiratory devices designed to aid breathing in the face of tear gasses or fires, and taken to shelter in tunnels and rooms beneath the Capitol building.
Twitter: @RepAlexMooney
Rioters waving Trump flags and “Thin Blue Line” banners ostensibly in support of police openly clashed with law enforcement officials, who seemed unprepared for the onslaught of people that the president has been promising for days now. Police resorted to pepper spray, shields, and metal barriers to stop people, but it was no use.
Members of Congress said tear gas was being dispersed inside of the Capitol building, with members being asked to grab the gas masks below their chairs. As Capitol Police told members to prepare to relocate to their cloakrooms, Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen yelled, “Call Trump! Call your friend!” according to a pool report.
The violence has been brewing for weeks on the pro-Trump internet, where, on forums like r/TheDonald subreddit, supporters have been publicly threatening lawmakers, police officers, and journalists if Congress did not overturn the results of the 2020 election.
Just after 2:15 p.m., the House and Senate recessed and Capitol Police locked the doors to the House gallery, warning members not to leave, as House leaders were escorted out, according to pool reports. Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota reportedly yelled, "This is because of you," apparently in reference to his Republican colleagues objecting to certifying electoral results.
In the Senate, reporters said, about 200 people were sealed in the chamber; an officer “with an orange POLICE badge across his chest appeared on the floor with what appeared to be a semi-automatic weapon,” standing between Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, according to a pool report.
Police began evacuating members of Congress from the House around 2:40 p.m. The Senate parliamentarian grabbed the boxes holding the Electoral College certificates before leaving, the pool reported. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told BuzzFeed News that the Federal Protective Service and the Secret Service have been requested to provide assistance to Capitol Police, and they are fulfilling that request.
Win Mcnamee / Getty Images
A Trump supporter inside the US Capitol, Jan. 6.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy made a brief appearance on Fox News around 3:15 p.m., where he said he was with Capitol Police and heard over the radio 10 to 15 minutes earlier that shots had been fired. He did not answer when asked if shots were fired inside or outside the Capitol.
McCarthy also said he spoke with Trump and explained the situation at the Capitol. Asked what the president said, McCarthy said, “He put out a tweet too.”A reporter with evacuated House lawmakers said many of them gathered to say a prayer, some kneeling or bowing their heads.
Trump had urged his supporters to “peacefully” march toward the Capitol building, falsely claiming that Democrats were stealing the election.
“Because you'll never take back our country with weakness,” he told supporters gathered in front of the White House, “you have to show strength, and you have to be strong. We have come to demand that Congress do the right thing and only count the electors who have been lawfully slated. Lawfully slated. I know that everyone here will soon be marching over to the Capitol building. To peacefully, patriotically make your voices heard.”
Instead, livestream videos showed Trump supporters outside the Capitol yelling at police for holding them back. “They didn’t win shit. They stole it and you’re fucking defending it,” yelled one member of the mob. “Those are our representatives in there stealing our freedom,” screamed another. One rioter attempted to steal an officer’s baton. A rioter used a shield to smash windows in the Capitol, and rioters then scrambled inside.
Reporters in the Capitol said an audio message played asking people to stay away from exterior windows due to an “external security threat.” The message said no entry into or exit from the building was allowed, meaning the complex is functionally in a lockdown.
Videos show a mass of Trump supporters carrying flags and banners storming law enforcement officials, who pushed, used shields, and fired what appeared to be pepper spray in defense.
Cellphones are not permitted in the Senate chamber, meaning many lawmakers were likely unaware of the chaos unfolding outside the Capitol while they debated the objection. According to a pool report, Senate leadership appeared to be passing notes during the debate and looked concerned. Soon after, the Capitol was locked down.
Capitol Police had ordered the evacuations of two Capitol campus buildings: the Madison Building and Cannon House Office building. It was unclear why the buildings were evacuated, but alerts sent to staffers said it was due to “police activity.”
Police also sent an alert saying they were investigating a suspicious package in the 300 block of First Street SE. Capitol Police later gave the all clear to staffers in the Cannon House Office building.
Members of Congress tweeted that they were being evacuated or sheltering in place because of the police activity.
South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace tweeted that she evacuated her office in Cannon “due to a nearby threat.” “Now we’re seeing protesters assaulting Capitol Police,” she tweeted. “This is wrong. This is not who we are. I’m heartbroken for our nation today.”
Virginia Rep. Elaine Luria, who also evacuated her office, tweeted, “I don’t recognize our country today and the members of Congress who have supported this anarchy do not deserve to represent their fellow Americans.” Michigan Rep. Haley Stevens said she was sheltering in place due to evacuations in the next building. “I can’t believe I have to write this,” she said in a tweet.
A police officer told lawmakers that the lockdown was due to rioters breaching the building, and urged members not to leave. Some lawmakers applauded and thanked the Capitol police.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, the second-highest-ranking member, was seen being escorted from the chamber by reporters in the room, seemingly by Capitol security, as were other members of House leadership and Vice President Mike Pence, who was on the Hill to preside over the joint session in his role as the president of the Senate.
The House resumed its debate just after 2:25 pm, though only minutes later went back into recess after staff entered the chamber and made motions for the members to get down. According to a pool report, lawmakers were told they may need to take shelter under their chairs, and reporters were told rioters had made their way into the Capitol rotunda.
Trump’s supporters converged on Washington on Wednesday, with Congress set to confirm Biden’s victory, at the direct urging of the president. In a tweet, Trump told supporters the day's events “will be wild.”
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/mollyhensleyclancy/trump-dc-maga-election-protests-capitol?fbclid=IwAR3SA7j2dHAl8dCZGO-nStMBvnHvWkUpuEY9rMqpYH8zj9XKtY4HX75nm9M
Tr ump Nazi sitting in Pelosi's office.
|
