WATCH: Lawmakers huddle in police standoff with the crowd at the living room door
RELATED: Shots Reportedly Fired At Capitol As Lawmakers Evacuate, Pro-Trump Protesters Swarm
Republican Representative Adam Kinzinger, who represents Illinois’s 16th district, stated it bluntly on Twitter, “This is a coup attempt.”
The unprecedented scene and break in the Capitol occurred as the Senate and House debated during the Electoral College’s certification results, confirming that Joe Biden has won the election and will serve as the 46th president of the United States.
After President Trump tweeted that Vice President Pence “ did not have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our country and our Constitution, ” after Pence affirmed he had no power to reverse the electoral college results and wouldn’t so Kinzinger replied, saying, “You’re not protecting the country. Where’s the DC guard? You’re done and your legacy will be a disaster.”
Kinzinger also released a video statement on Twitter, in which he said in part, “The storming of the capital was an attempted coup d’état, with the aim of overturning the election of a newly elected president. The current president instigated this coup, encouraged. “This one and did. Little to protect the Capitol and the Constitution. I stand for rejecting this chaos and condemning the president for allowing this to happen.”
He went on to say, “This authoritarian bully is what the founders feared, and that’s not what the GOP stands for. He is no longer the leader of our party, and our party must reject his treacherous acts if we ever have the confidence of a majority. of this country. “
Kinzinger called on his party’s leaders, including Rep. Kevin McCarthy and Sen. Mitch McConnell, to “vigorously denounce his actions and their consequences.”
Speaking with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos during special coverage, Kinzinger did not back down from that stance, condemning the actions of both the president’s supporters and the president himself, and providing a dark picture of this day’s repercussions for the Republican party.
“If we continue this culture warfare road and own the left, you know, storming the capital, I think we’ll be a failed party in the not too distant future,” he said.
Rep. Raja Krisnamoorthi (D-IL 8th) was incarcerated in the capital with Texas Democrat Rep. Joaquin Castro after he was evacuated from the room of the House.
“ They have sunk House until things are settled, but they have evacuated Mike Pence to a safe location in the capital and basically everyone has been asked to find an office and shelter, so that’s why I’m barricading my estate. friend Joaquin Castro in his office, ”Krisnamoorthi said to Stephanopoulos.
WATCH: Video shows Trump supporters scaling the US Capitol Building
Bill Foster (D-IL 11th District) said he was on his way to the capital but was not there when the crowd entered the building. He is currently safe and sheltered a few blocks away.
“This is something that actually the responsibility for this lies at the foot of every politician who has tolerated lies and threats of violence, really for the past decade or more,” Foster told ABC7 Eyewitness News. “
Foster said he had not yet gone to the capital because Democrats had asked for the number of people on the floor to be limited to only those speaking over concerns about the safety of COVID-19. He said that while Democrats largely respected the request, Republicans “saw fit to wrap up the empire.” As such, he believes that when the lockdown took effect, the majority of those in attendance were Republicans.
Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth said she was also on her way to the Senate floor to speak when she was told to turn around. She said she is safe in a “ safe location ” and blamed President Trump for the unrest.
Illinois Senator Dick Durbin also tweeted about the riot at the Capitol, saying, “President Trump incited his followers to violence. They stormed the Capitol and stopped the House and Senate during a session. We don’t know at this point how big the damage or injury they have caused. This shameful chapter in the history of our nation is the real legacy of Donald Trump. On January 20th, we can begin the process of healing the wounds of this country and begin to put it behind us. of this national nightmare. “
Rep. Chuy Garcia (D-IL 4th District) said he was also hiding in place in his office, but hadn’t gone up to the House floor before the crowd stormed the Capitol.
“I think there are definitely grounds for impeachment, perhaps for other measures,” Garcia said of the unprecedented situation. “I think the most important thing is that this newly sworn Congress has been sworn to protect the Constitution, to continue its work of considering the certification of the Electoral College’s results, and to be done with it.”
Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar tweeted Wednesday afternoon that she is drafting articles on impeachment as a result of the riot, saying of Trump, “We cannot keep him in office, it is a matter of preserving our Republic and we must keep our oath.”
Freshman Representative Marie Newman (D-IL 3rd) tweeted that she and her staff are safe and sheltered.
How long the hideout would last was not clear, nor was it clear when the houses of Congress would return to Electoral College certification.
My staff and I are safe and in their place at the moment. I urge everyone to keep calm as this situation continues to unfold. I pray for the safety of all my colleagues, their staff and for this entire country.
We will continue to provide updates as needed.
– Congressman Marie Newman (@RepMarieNewman) January 6, 2021
Representative Brad Schneider (D-IL 10th District) issued a statement confirming that he is safe, saying, “This afternoon, when I was in the House Chamber counting the votes of the electoral college, protesters broke through the security areas and “Entered the Capitol. After a brief hiding place on the ground, we were safely evacuated from the Capitol. I am currently safe and secure. I am grateful for everyone’s appropriate concerns and for the actions of the US Capitol Police. Pray for our nation.”
Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL 5th District) released a statement confirming he is safe, saying, “First and foremost I want to thank Capitol Police for keeping us today. Make no mistake: President Trump and his enablers are personal responsible for instigating this violence and he must immediately and unequivocally condemn it and urge his followers to resign This obvious act of domestic terrorism may have succeeded in delaying President Elect-Biden’s certification, but it is suffering no doubt that he will indeed be president on January 20th. “
WATCH: Peaceful protest in Chicago outside Trump Tower
A small group of about 20 peaceful protesters gathered near Trump Tower in Chicago on Wednesday evening. They said the events in Washington were the culmination of a president continuing to fuel violence.
“He certainly carries a great moral responsibility. I mean, there is a direct line between what he said and what is happening now,” said Jonathan Masur, a law professor at the University of Chicago. “He probably doesn’t bear any kind of legal responsibility. Typically the First Amendment requires that before you can hold anyone accountable for inciting a riot or something like that, they have to tell the people much more directly, you know, ‘Let’s go and riots. ”
The protesters said they plan to return on Thursday and hope more people will join them.
While everything is calm in the city, Chicago has deployed salt trucks around the Loop in case the situation in DC causes trouble here.
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