As Congress met the afternoon of Jan. 6 to certify the victory of President-Elect Joe Biden, thousands of pro-Trump protesters stormed past barricades and police officers in a fruitless effort to stop the certification of Biden’s victory.
Four protesters died during the assault on democracy.
They stormed the Capitol after a “pep talk” by Trump earlier in the day that encouraged the MAGA-hat-wearing throngs to take their protest to the Capitol, where Congress and the vice president — against Trump orders — continued to do their jobs, as defined by the Constitution.
When the masses breached the Capitol by breaking windows and doors and injuring Capitol police, Vice President Mike Pence, who was presiding over the count, was swept to a secure location alongside members of the Senate and House.
Thousands of President Trump’s supporters were in D.C. for Wednesday’s “Save America” rally, objecting to Biden’s November victory.
Trump, who has yet to admit that he lost by a landslide, encouraged the “faithful” to gather in Washington. He spoke to the gathering earlier in the day, his comments including attacks on Congress and on Pence, who had declined Trump’s directive to illegally invalidate votes.
Nashville-Area Rep. Jim Cooper as well as Senator Marsha Blackburn and Senator-Elect Bill Hagerty reported to the media, during the melee, that they were safe.
My staff and I are currently safe. This is a dark day for America.
— Jim Cooper (@repjimcooper) January 6, 2021
Senator Blackburn, a fervent supporter of Trump and Wednesday’s protests, has condemned the actions of the mob.
At least 25 Capitol police were injured when trying to protect the building and legislators from the violent insurrectionists, according to television network reports early this morning.
To the protestors that have breached the Capitol building: you are disrupting the democratic process. You should be ashamed of yourself. This is violence. This is a crime. It must stop.
— Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) January 6, 2021
Lumination will continue to keep you updated as this story progresses.