The situation on Capitol Hill is quickly deteriorating as Trump’s followers have stormed the Capitol fueled by his claims of a fraudulent election.
This afternoon Trump held a rally in DC, drawing thousands to the nation’s capital. The rally was supposed to occur as a protest against Biden’s presidential win being verified today in Congress.
At the rally, Trump said, “You don’t concede when there’s theft involved…Our country has had enough and we will not take it anymore.” He went on to make more fraud claims, firing up his followers.
Trump then tweeted, “Mike Pence didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution, giving States a chance to certify a corrected set of facts, not the fraudulent or inaccurate ones which they were asked to previously certify. USA demands the truth!”
Trump was referencing Pence’s refusal to overturn the election results in Congress. In a letter he issued to Congress today, Pence explained, “It is my considered judgment that my oath to support and defend the Constitution constrains me from claiming unilateral authority to determine which electoral votes should be counted and which should not.”
Pence was joined by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in standing against Trump’s desperate coup today, citing his attempts to cling to power as unconstitutional. Yet, some Republican congress members were still poised to vote to contest the presidential election, despite the lack of evidence and how doing so could corrode our nation’s democracy.
Following Trump’s initial tweet about Pence, the situation in the Capitol became rapidly more serious. Protesters stormed the barricades, breaking through them and entering the Capitol building.
Taking his follower’s violent actions into account, 15 minutes after his tweet about the election being fraudulent and America deserving the truth, Trump tweeted, “Please support our Capitol Police and Law Enforcement. They are truly on the side of our Country. Stay peaceful!”
He followed up that message with the tweet, “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!”
Protesters are currently walking through the halls of the capital. Some were heard shouting “Where are they?” referencing the lawmakers who were just in the chamber.
Many congress members have been evacuated and the debate over the electoral count that will officially make Biden the president of the United States has been suspended. Some are still in the building sheltering in place in their offices, under their desks.
Protesters have begun breaking into offices, vandalizing them, looting them, and destroying objects within them. The situation has not been controlled yet, although police are working on it and tear gas has been used in the Rotunda.
Mayor Muriel Bowser has ordered that a curfew of 6 PM be put into place in DC tonight.
We will be following the developments closely and update the story accordingly.
