Thread by @cfishman

LIVE ON CNN NOW:

MAGA protesters storm steps & front of the Capitol Building.

Law enforcement completely retreats. No effort to contain or channel protesters.

So Black Lives Matter protesters: Swept with violence & tear gas from Lafayette Park.

MAGA protests: Occupy Capitol.

2/ To be clear, this part of the protest is not in the control of the DC Metropolitan Police.

The Capitol Building and the grounds are the responsibility of the Capitol Police.

3/ Capitol Police are now trying to restore some order. Have cleared some steps.

VP Pence has been ushered out of the Senate chamber, via CNN.

4/ PROTESTERS HAVE BREACHED THE CAPITOL BUILDING…now marching through Statuary Hall and in the balconies of the Senate.

Capitol Building is not in the control of the Capitol authorities.

No violence at the moment. But the building is out of the control of Capitol authorities.

5/ CNN is reporting that the Capitol Police have called for assistance from fellow police agencies, including DC Metro Police.

Clearly, Capitol Police utterly unready for large and determined crowds.

There are 2,200 Capitol Police officers.

6/ Senators & Representatives ordered by Capitol authorities to shelter in place, out of danger.

Protesters storming both sides of the Capitol.

The protesters have successfully occupied the Capitol and temporarily stopped the certification of Joe Biden's election as president.

Florida Congressman Republican Michael Waltz, on Fox New just now: 'This is despicable. … A sad day for the country.'

Karl Rove follows him on Fox News: 'This is beyond the pale.'

8/ Waltz was speaking to Fox, via cellphone, as he was being hustled to safety.

^ ^ ^
Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser just now: Citywide curfew from 6 pm tonight to 6 am Thursday.

6 pm is...3 hours from now. I've lived in DC 10 years of my life. Never had a citywide curfew.

9/ One community seems unworried by the occupation of the capital by Trump supporters.

Dow Jones is up 372 points right now (2:50 pm).

Yes, it was up 500 points an hour ago. But has risen from low in the last 20 minutes.

10/ Fox News reporting protesters attempting to breach the main door of the House chamber.

Fox News says Capitol Police securing the entrance, with guns drawn.

Fox News anchor Brett Baier says, 'This is a political failure.' Colleagues say, 'Promises were made to these people.'

11/ This is truly crazy.

In all of American history, Americans have never stormed the Houses of Congress and occupied them.

As this was unfolding, Donald Trump denounced his own Vice President on Twitter. Even as the certification process was beginning, Trump tweeted below:

12/ Reminder that the Vice President has no authority in the certification proceedings.

His job is to open the envelopes of voters from the states, and call them out.

If vice presidents could decide who was president, elections wouldn't be necessary.

12/ Protester interviewed on Fox News now.

'We're peaceful.'

Reporter: 'The Capitol has been breached, sir.'

Protester: 'Breached? Breached? That is the people's house!'

Reporter cuts him off and throws back to Fox anchor desk.

13/ Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger (Illinois) on Fox News now from secure location calls on Trump to have law enforcement officials restore order and retake the Capitol.

Fox interviewing members of Congress live on TV via cell phone. So far, all Republican.

14/ Another Republican Congressman, Mike Johnson (Louisiana), live on Fox News.

'The members here are in good hands. There's not a lot of fear here. There's just a lot of sadness. We feel like we've crossed a rubicon here.'

15/ Rep. Johnson (R., LA): 'It's fun to have rallies....That's the beauty of America. But it has to be peaceful. We don't have a king.'

On Fox.

Haven't heard a any interviews with members of Congress or Senate on CNN yet.

16/ GUNS DRAWN IN THE HOUSE CHAMBER.

This image from inside the US House of Representatives — Capitol Police, guns drawn, flanking the entrance to the House floor.

This is from perhaps 30-45 min ago.

Via @GettyImages on CNN.

17/ Fox News reporting that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi & DC Mayor Muriel Bowser have requested DC National Guard clear the Capitol & restore order.

DC National Guard callup needs to be coordinated with Pentagon — Bowser doesn't have authority directly. But routinely approved.

18/ Capitol Police, for the record, are supervised by a Capitol Police 'board' — Senate sergeant at arms, House sergeant at arms, Capitol architect, and the Capitol Police chief.

19/ Image of a protester standing at the desk of the presiding officer of the House. This is where the Speaker, or the presiding officer, sits.

20/ Dozens of people inside the Capitol.

Video of people breaking windows & climbing into the Capitol after lockdown.

It will be interesting to see how many are arrested and charged.

Plenty of BLM protesters have been arrested. In DC, most often charges dropped after release.

21/ Here is the former mayor of NYC and Trump’s personal attorney on the mob of protesters who stormed and occupied the US Capitol 90 minutes ago.

He addresses them as ‘patriots.’

https://twitter.com/RudyGiuliani/status/1346907496875757575

22/ Below a statement from Trump daughter Ivanka also addressing those storming the Capitol as ‘patriots.’ Posted at 2:15 pm.

@IvankaTrump has since deleted this tweet.

23/ Chris Wallace on Fox News: 'It's not protest, it's insurrection.'

24/ The President issues a statement addressed to the protesters who stormed & occupied the US Capitol.

'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 are very special.'

Full text below.

25/ Here is a link to the video of Trump issuing a statement about this afternoon's takeover of the Capitol by his supporters, of whom he says, 'We love you. You are very special.'

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1346928882595885058?s=20

26/ '…we can't play into the hands of these people.'

'These people.'

As his own supporters storm and seize the seat of American government, Donald Trump publicly underscores divisiveness.

'These people' = 81,283,098 Americans who voted for Biden.

27/ It is 4:45 pm in Washington DC.

Sunset is 16 minutes away, 5:01 pm. It's been a gray, overcast day.

Darkness is not going to make the Trump protest crowd easier to manage.

It is 39º, with temperature falling.

28/ The fallback of police during this protest is astonishing.

Commentary below. Senators and members of Congress will surely be asking how secure they could be if protesters reach this spot unmolested.

Correction: This is the Senate chamber, not House.

https://twitter.com/NoahCaine/status/1346911883698135041?s=20

29/ Democratic Congressman from Arizona…

https://twitter.com/RubenGallego/status/1346950237919838208?s=20

30/ Home page of the Washington Post now, 6 pm, Jan. 6, 2021.

Note bemusing infelicity in right-hand subhed: '…Democrats win full control in Washington.'

Except, you know, tonight.

31/ Home page of the New York Times at the same moment, 6 pm, Jan. 6, 2021.

Not as urgent or information dense as WashPost, above.

32/ Fox News commentator Dana Perino (former WH press secretary for George Bush)…

House & Senate should reconvene tonight to certify Joe Biden as winner of the presidential election. 'Don't let the mob rule.'

33/ Curfew takes effect in Washington DC.

6 pm.

Wait, I have to walk the dogs. Is that still okay?

34/ The Capitol Building now back in control of federal authorities.

Former President George W. Bush issues statement titled, 'Insurrection at the Capitol.'

'scenes of mayhem,' 'sickening & heartbreaking,' 'people whose passions have been inflamed by falsehoods & false hopes.'

35/ A former President of the United States, and a Republican, calls today's events an 'insurrection' and clearly lays the blame at Donald Trump, 'the reckless behavior of some political leaders since the election.'

36/ Night-side Fox News sliding back into its usual posture.

Sarah Palin on, saying, We don't really know who the people were who instigated today's violence. Then: 'I've been sent pictures that indicate it's Antifah.'

It was Donald Trump.

37/ Donald Trump spoke for an hour to protesters today, concluding 'So, we're going to walk down Pennsylvania Avenue, and we're going to the Capitol, and we're going to try to give our Republicans the kind of pride and boldness they need to take back our country.'

38/ Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to speak at re-convening of Congress in about 15 minutes.

Just before the takeover of the Capitol, McConnell gave a floor speech where he denounced the last 2 weeks of Trump's behavior.

Two excerpts below -->

39/ McConnell, denouncing members questioning the election during today's certification:

'The voters, the courts, and the states have all spoken...If we overrule them, it would damage our republic forever.

-->

40/ McConnell speech earlier, before Capitol takeover...

'Nothing before us proves illegality anywhere near the massive scale that would have tipped the entire election.

'Nor can public doubt alone justify a radical break when the doubt itself was incited without any evidence.'

41/ New York Times updates its home page and main headline to directly attribute the violence to the President of the United States. (WashPost and WSJ both go with the phrase, 'Pro-Trump Mob…'

'Mob Incited by Trump Storms Capitol.'

42/ It's hard to be thoughtful, bold, persuasive on deadline.

Here's an early take — column from @HerringtonNBA. Yes, a columnist for the Daily Memphian in Memphis, TN. Read it.

Frames the day's events with urgency, directness, accountability.

dailymemphian.com/subscriber/sec…

43/ Tucker Carlson says 'if you don't learn something from your fellow countrymen storming the Capitol then you are a fool.'

...exactly what he said about BLM protesters, right?

#FoxNewsAtNight

44/ Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, as Congress reconvenes, voice breaking, calls today's events 'a failed insurrection. Failed.'

45/ Law enforcement update on the protests & the Capitol takeover, from @phscoop at the WashPost.

• DC police arrest 13 people, all men, 3 in possession of firearms; 12 from VA, 1 from Michigan

• Capitol Police decline to say if anyone arrested on federal property

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45a/ Additional law enforcement info...

• The woman who was shot & killed has not been identified. @washingtonpost reports she was shot by a Capitol Police officer — no other details available yet.