PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) Lawmakers across the Delaware Valley are speaking out after rioters supporting President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday as a joint session was confirming the Electoral College for President-elect Joe Biden.
The nation s elected representatives scrambled to crouch under desks and donned gas marks, while police futilely tried to barricade the building, one of the most jarring scenes ever to unfold in a seat of American political power. A woman was shot and killed inside the Capitol, and Washington s mayor instituted an evening curfew in an attempt to contain the violence.
The rioters were egged on by Trump, who has spent weeks falsely attacking the integrity of the election and had urged his supporters to descend on Washington to protest Congress formal approval of Biden s victory. Some Republican lawmakers were in the midst of raising objections to the results on his behalf when the proceedings were abruptly halted by the mob.
WHYY
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Insurrectionist supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol building Wednesday during the House and Senate debate over GOP challenges to final certification of the 2020 election results.
Doors and windows were broken, in some cases by gunshots, and the floors of the chambers were breached. Members were told to put on gas masks and were evacuated to undisclosed locations, along with staff and press.
For much of the afternoon, it was unclear how long it would take for Capitol police to regain control of the building. As of 6:15 p.m., officials reported that the chambers were cleared of rioters and law enforcement was working to fully secure the building.