WASHINGTON – As the nation prepares to undergo major changes, objectors to the shift made a violent last stand.
On Jan. 6, lawmakers were already set to face a stressful day, as several Republicans objecting to the results of the November Presidential Election made a mostly ceremonial procedure an arduous task. Not long after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and likely soon-to-be Majority Leader Chuck Schumer made a rare agreement in that there was no fraud, the entire room was cleared around 2 p.m. as pro-Trump protestors stormed the U.S. Capitol.
Most of the legislators sequestered in safe locations, while Vice President Mike Pence was rushed to safety by members of the Secret Service. This came after Trump held a rally in Washington, D.C. and reacted disapprovingly to Pence not making an effort to influence the certification of the election.
“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 tweeted.
Trump’s audience also took offense, crossing police barricades, clashing with officers, breaking windows and disrupting legislative procedure, with some even reaching the Senate Chambers. There have been reports of fires, tear gas flash bombs, and shots being fired, with at least one shooting victim confirmed. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser reportedly sought to have the National Guard activated to calm the situation. Additionally, Bowser issued a curfew to lock the city down.
“There will be law and order, and this behavior will not be tolerated,” Bowser said in a press conference.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy called the President and asked him to intervene to calm down the situation. In response, Trump posted this video message: “I know your pain, I know your hurt. We had an election that was stolen from us, it was a landslide election and everyone knows it, especially the other side, but you have to go home now.
“We have to have peace. We have to have law and order. We have to respect our great people in law and order. We don’t want anybody hurt. It’s a very tough period of time. There’s never been a period of time like this where such a thing happened, where they could take it away from all of us – from me, from you, from our country. This was a fraudulent election, but we can’t play into the hands of these people. We have to have peace. So go home, we love you, you’re very special. You’ve seen what happens. You see the way others are treated that are so bad and so evil. I know how you feel, but go home, and go home in peace.”
As of deadline, the procedure may still be going on, but it is very unlikely that anything will stop Joe Biden and Kamala Harris from being sworn into their posts on Jan. 20, 2021 as President and Vice President respectively.
All of this comes as the initial count of votes in the Georgia Senate Runoff Election are being counted. As of deadline, one side of the draw saw Democrat Rev. Raphael Warnock defeat incumbent Republican Kelly Loeffler, while the other has Democrat Jon Ossoff leading incumbent Republican David Perdue. If both results hold, then the Democratic Party will effectively control the U.S. Senate, in addition to the U.S. House and U.S. Presidency.
