US Capitol Police have evacuated two buildings on the Hill, the Madison Library of Congress Building and the Cannon House Office Building, where our crew is set up.
Here’s a look at some staffers and press waiting in a hallway in the Longworth House Office Building.
Update at 2:15pm ET:
Some confusion here.
Capitol Police told us the Cannon House Office Building reopened, let a few dozen people back in, then said the all clear was incorrect and told folks to leave again.
An officer also told me the Capitol Building is locked down.
Update at 2:25pm:
Quite tense on the Hill. Several police officers just raced by me in the Longworth Building heading to the Rayburn Building.
The House and Senate have recessed because protesters have gotten into the Capitol Building, per reporters there.
This is the president’s message as protestors supporting his debunked election claims breach Capitol Hill intent on overturning the election results.
An injured Capitol Police officer was just escorted by me.
Shortly after this video, several other officers with visible injuries to their faces walked by me.
“You want to get the hell out of here, they’ve taken over the Capitol,” one officer said.
Update at 2:45pm ET:
Several Capitol Police officers with long guns just walked by me in the Longworth House Office Building heading toward either the Cannon House Building or the Capitol.
Update at 2:54pm ET:
Dozens of U.S. House members and staffers were just escorted from the House floor to somewhere in the Longworth House Office Building.
Extremely tense environment right now.
Update at 3:07pm ET:
A video to explain what I’ve seen so far in the Longworth House Office Building as protestors supporting @realDonaldTrump breach Capitol Hill.
Update at 3:50pm ET:
Capitol Hill is still locked down and I remain in the Longworth House Office Building, where Capitol Police officers are occasionally running through to other locations.
Here is what @realDonaldTrump has said about his supporters who breached the Hill.
Update at 4:10pm ET:
Armed FBI officers just walked through the Longworth House Office Building.
An unbelievable site on Capitol Hill.
Update at 4:20pm ET:
@realDonaldTrump releases a video message lying, again, that he won the election.
“We have to have peace. So go home. We love you. You’re very special,” the president says to protesters who breached the U.S. Capitol and injured Capitol Police.
As POTUS tells his supporters who have breached the Capitol & injured police “we love you, you’re very special,” I’m reminded of being at #BlackLivesMatterPlaza when @realDonaldTrump had federal agents tear gas mostly peaceful protestors so he could take pictures with a Bible.
Capitol Police are slowly allowing folks back into the Cannon House Office Building.
I just got to where our live shot location is that overlooks the Capitol and the police/fire response is immense.
Capitol Hill is still locked down, per an officer.
Update at 7:24pm ET:
Twitter has locked @realDonaldTrump’s account for at least 12 hours for three tweets of his about today’s chaos on Capitol Hill, saying they violated its Civic Integrity policy.
“If the Tweets are not removed, the account will remain locked.”
Update at 8:08pm ET:
Congress has reconvened in a vandalized U.S. Capitol.
Vice President Pence just spoke, saying in part, “To those who wreaked havoc in our Capitol today, you did not win. Violence never wins. Freedom wins. And this is the still the People’s House.”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell just spoke:
“We will not bow to lawlessness or intimidation.” He called today’s protesters and rioters an “unhinged crowd.”
“They tried to disrupt our democracy. They failed.”
The House has reconvened in a vandalized U.S. Capitol and @SpeakerPelosi just spoke.
“Could we have imagined the assault that was made on our democracy today?” she said.
“Let us proceed with our responsibilities to the Constitution.”
Update at 10:27pm ET:
In a 93 to 6 vote, the Senate has rejected the objection to Arizona's electoral votes.
The House is still debating, but the objection will also be rejected because Democrats control the House.
After that, the joint session reconvenes to continue counting.
Update at 11:17pm ET:
In a 303 to 121 vote, the House has rejected the objection to Arizona’s electoral votes.
A joint session will now reconvene to continue counting the other states.
If one senator joins a House member in objecting, another round of debate/votes will occur.
Update at 11:30pm ET:
Per @AP, Washington, DC Police report 4 people died in today’s chaos on Capitol Hill (1 woman shot by police, 3 others in medical emergencies) and two pipe bombs, as well as a vehicle with a long gun and a Molotov cocktail, were found near Capitol grounds.
Update at 12:16am ET:
The second objection has been made, against Pennsylvania’s electoral votes.
Now, the Senate returns to its chamber, the House stays on its side, and each has up to two hours to debate.
After that, each chamber will vote.
Then, the joint session resumes.
Update at 12:40am ET:
In a 92 to 7 vote, the Senate has rejected the objection to Pennsylvania’s electoral votes.
The House is still debating, but it will also reject it because Democrats control the House.
After that, the joint session reconvenes to continue counting.
Update from U.S. Capitol Police at 1:16am ET:
“All buildings within the Capitol Complex: The USCP has cleared the external security threat incident located within the Capitol Complex. The USCP will continue to maintain a security perimeter.”
Update at 1:55am ET:
I’m thankfully safe and home and am going to get a few hours of sleep.
The House will soon vote to reject the objection to Pennsylvania’s electoral votes.
Then the joint session reconvenes to continue counting the rest.
😴😴😴
Update at 7:15am ET:
At 3:48am, Congress completed counting the 2020 electoral votes and officially certified @JoeBiden's win.
At 3:49am, @realDonaldTrump's aide @DanScavino tweeted a statement from the president saying "there will be an orderly transition on January 20th."
Update at 11:12am ET:
First statement from chief of U.S. Capitol Police:
"The USCP had a robust plan established to address anticipated First Amendment activities. But make no mistake – these mass riots were not First Amendment activities; they were criminal riotous behavior."
Update at 11:21am ET:
Mark Zuckerberg announces he is keeping @realDonaldTrump's Facebook and Instagram accounts blocked "indefinitely."
"We believe the risks of allowing the President to continue to use our service during this period are simply too great."
Update at 11:38am ET:
Incoming Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer calls for @realDonaldTrump to be removed from office.
Update at 1:39pm ET:
Transportation @SecElaineChao, who is also the wife of @senatemajldr Mitch McConnell, resigns in the wake of yesterday's chaos on Capitol Hill.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is calling for the 25th Amendment to be invoked to remove @realDonaldTrump from office.
"If the vice president and the cabinet do not act, the Congress may be prepared to move forward with impeachment."
Update at 7:30pm ET:
@realDonaldTrump releases a video from the White House where he condemns the "heinous attack" on Capitol Hill and acknowledges "a new administration will be inaugurated on Jan. 20."
The @washingtonpost reported that @realDonaldTrump "has not attended a coronavirus task force meeting in 'at least five months,' said one senior administration official with knowledge of the meetings..."
As of Nov. 16 at 2pm ET, only two of Ohio's 13 Republicans in Congress have acknowledged (either in public remarks or statements sent to me) that @JoeBiden is the president-elect.
The @AP and other major news organizations called the race nine days ago.
On Nov. 9, I reached out to all 13 Republicans in Ohio's congressional delegation with two questions:
1) Do you recognize the results of the election, as projected by the @AP and other major news organizations?
2) Do you agree that @JoeBiden is now President-elect Biden?
As of 2pm ET on Nov. 16, four Ohio Republicans in Congress have not responded to my questions or made public remarks that I've seen about the presidential race:
@senrobportman Throughout the Senate trial, I documented my attempts to speak w/ @senrobportman in this thread ⤵️
He's cofounder & co-chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus & was one of the last known senators to speak w/ @realDonaldTrump before Ukraine aid was released.
So, over the weekend I finished reading the Mueller report.
All 448 pages.
I'm far from the first person to read it, but I know not everyone has — or will.
It's very easy in today's political climate to forget about the report's findings, so I want to highlight my top 24.
1) “The Russian government interfered in the 2016 presidential election in sweeping and systematic fashion."
2) “Although the investigation established that the Russian gov't perceived it would benefit from a Trump presidency...and...the Campaign expected it would benefit...the investigation did not establish that members of the Trump Campaign conspired or coordinated w/ the Russian[s]"
If you’re just waking up, Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s office has announced that Roger Stone, a longtime associate of @realDonaldTrump, was arrested this morning for seven counts:
- Obstruction of an official proceeding
- Five counts of false statements
- Witness tampering
Here is the 24-page indictment outlining the charges against Roger Stone:
From pg 2: In “summer of 2016, STONE spoke to senior Trump Campaign officials about [WikiLeaks] & information it might have had that would be damaging to the Clinton Campaign. STONE was contacted by senior Trump Campaign officials to inquire about future releases by [WikiLeaks].”