National Guard, state and federal police deployed as mob breaches U.S. Capitol
Pro-Trump supporters breeched security and entered the Capitol as Congress debated the a 2020 presidential election Certification. Photo: ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty
The National Guard joined state and federal law enforcement on Wednesday afternoon in attempting to curtail a pro-Trump protest that turned violent as rioters breached the U.S. Capitol and Senate chambers during the Electoral College vote count.
Driving the news: Vice President Mike Pence encouraged the Pentagon mid-afternoon to rapidly deploy the National Guard to the Capitol, sources briefed tell Axios Jonathan Swan.
The big picture: The Pentagon said roughly 1,100 District of Columbia National Guard members were activated to help federal law enforcement respond to the mob per D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser s request, AP reports.
Will Not Be Intimidated : After Insurrection, Congress Blocks State Objections
Lawmakers on Wednesday blocked objections to President-elect Joe Biden s election win in Arizona and Pennsylvania Wednesday evening, paving the way for Congress to formalize Biden s victory.
The votes came after Congress reconvened hours after violent insurrectionists stormed the Capitol, forcing party leadership to evacuate the scene while rioters overtook the complex. The United States Senate will not be intimidated, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said as he returned to the Senate floor earlier in the evening. We will not be kept out of this chamber by thugs, mobs or threats. We will not bow to lawlessness or intimidation. We are back at our posts. We will discharge our duty under the Constitution and for our nation. And we re going to do it tonight.
AP
Protesters gesture to U.S. Capitol Police in the hallway outside of the Senate chamber at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, near the Ohio Clock. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Despite the violent breach, congressional leaders were looking to continue the process of officially recognizing the results of the presidential election.
Updated at 7:19 p.m. ET
The U.S. Capitol was the scene of chaos on Wednesday, as supporters of President Trump responded to his call to head to the complex and then breached it, leading to unprecedented violence in the seat of America s federal government.
A woman was shot and killed during the assault on the Capitol, according to Washington, D.C., police. Her identity was not made public.
Win McNamee / Getty Images
Updated at 11:45 p.m. ET
Congress reconvened Wednesday night to certify President-elect Joe Biden s Electoral College victory, just hours after the U.S. Capitol was thrust into chaos by supporters of President Trump an angry mob that breached the complex in an unprecedented violent act at the seat of America s federal government.
Earlier in the day, the president has urged his backers to head to the Capitol.
A woman was shot and killed during the assault, according to Washington, D.C., police. Her identity has not been made public.
A law enforcement official familiar with the investigation told NPR s Carrie Johnson that the alleged shooter of the woman was a senior U.S. Capitol Police officer and that the woman who was killed was unarmed.
Updated at 6:50 p.m. ET
The U.S. Capitol was the scene of chaos on Wednesday, as supporters of President Trump responded to his call to head to the complex and then breached it, leading to unprecedented violence in the seat of America’s federal government.
A woman was shot and killed during the assault on the Capitol, according to Washington, D.C., police.
Her identity was not made public, and it was not clear who might be responsible.
The insurrectionists interrupted proceedings in the House and Senate, as members of Congress were tallying President-elect Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory. The counting of the votes is normally a relatively pro forma session.