Glorious
5 minute
4 years
Georgia
Strong
No evidence
I guess hundred the thousands of dollars to sit on an energy board even though he admits he has
No knowledge of energy
And millions of dollars upfront
Believe with me
Have you managed money before no I have it though that's good he is about 3 billion
No they don't talk about that know we have a corrupt media
They've gone silent
Dave Gahan dead
I now realize how good
It was if you go back 10 years I realized
How good even though
I didn't necessarily love him
I realize how good it was like a cleansing motion
But we don't have that any
We don't have
Affair media any
Its suppression
And you have to be very careful with that
And they've lost all credibility in this gun
We will not
Be intimidated into accepting
The hoaxes and the lies
We've been forced to believe
Over the past several weeks we've amassed overwhelming evidence
About a May collection
This is the presidential election
Last night was a little bit better because of the fact that we had a lot of eyes watching one specific state
But they cheated like hell anyway
Yeah what are the dumbest governors in the United States
And you know when I
Endorse him after I didn't know this guy
At the request of David Perdue said
Friend of mine's running
Listen to President Trump speaking at a save America rally at the ellipse in Washington
I'm just south of the White House
Continuing to call on his supporters to resist
The legal results of the 2020 elections and quote we will never concede
In regard to today's Electoral College count the president again put pressure on Vice
President Mike Pence saying it's up to him to make things right
For the record the vice president has no power to change at the electoral vote we're going to take a quick break
Now the state with us your streaming cbsn
The biggest names in politics
Do you think that the president has the authority to send in active-duty troops
Did the CDC about the American people. What is the next
Ariat that you are concerned about what is that mean for the risk of reinfection here in the United
You bring up a very good point Market
On CBS
Go to the ends of the Earth right now. Something crazy
Here we are
Wait there's more experience thought-provoking
Truly original reporting looks real telescope and gold
CBS Sunday Morning
Bella taking this white house we're going to fight like hell I'll tell you right now President Trump steadfast in his attempt
To stay in office this is America we have elections we have results
We make arguments based on the fact and Reason Not conspiracy and fantasy
A procedural day to certify the election results is now political theater as several members
The GOP plan a final attempt to overturn the results despite these futile effort joke
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will take office in two weeks we're going to be
Be inaugurated.
Hello everyone I'm Tanya Rivero thank you for joining us in just a few minutes a joy
Joint session of Congress will begin counting Electoral College votes to confirm president-elect Biden's Vic
Victory to determine which party will hold the majority of the Senate
It's still too close to call
Meanwhile we know the Senate will have one more democratic seat after the highly-anticipated
Georgia runoff elections yesterday
CBS news4jax Reverend Raphael Warnock has defeated incumbents Kelly Loeffler the win
We'll make him the state's first black senator in history
In an interview on CBS This Morning Warnock describe what this means to him
I'm just so very grateful to the people of Georgia
They sent a strong and clear message last night
When they sent
A person who grew up in public housing
112 children in my family on the first college graduate
That I am serving
In the United States Senate in a few days
Any other race Democratic candidate Jon ossoff has a slight Edge
Remains from claiming Victory this morning
Over Republican senator David Perdue
I want to thank the people of Georgia for participating in this election everybody who cast your ballot everybody who put me
Your faith and confidence
In our democracies capacity to deliver the representation that we've deserve whether you were for me
Or against me I'll be for you in the US Senate I will serve all the people of the state
I will give everything I've got to ensuring that George's interests are represented in the US Senate
We are continuing to monitor the vote count in that race
Washington is bracing for a potential political Clash today when they could so further.
Vision in the country
This is a live long from Capitol Hill we're in a little under half an hour a joint session of Congress will Powell
Only the results of the 2020 presidential election it is usually a largely ceremonial event
One where lawmakers count the Electoral College votes
And the vice president announces the winners
But it won't be that simple this year
Despite providing no evidence of voter fraud
President Trump still claims he won the 2020 election
For the record
He did not Joe Biden did
Now mr. Trump is ramping up pressure on vice president Pence to reject
Some of the belts a power we should note the vice president does not legally possess
The president has gained some support on Capitol Hill though a group of at least 13 Republican Senators
Then 100 GOP house members
Say they will contestbee Electoral College votes today
3 clear these objections will not result in a change in the outcome of the election
They merely delay the process
By which Congress affirms Joe Biden's victory
Mr. Biden will still become the 46th president of the United States
Two weeks from today
Meanwhile
Thousands of Pro Trump demonstrators have flocked to Washington today
They're also protesting the election results
For more let's bring in chabon hudes she's a congressional reporter with the Wall Street Journal
Siobhan welcome great to have you with us so first off walk us through this
Process
How are we going to see this play out today
This as you say is a ceremonial process and it unfolds in a very set pattern
You are going to see the Senators walk over from their side of the Capitol Dome
Into the house
Chamber where this is fat
You will see vice president Mike Pence as the technical president of the Senate presiding over this
There are boxes with
Straps on them that contain the actual certificates that are going to be delivered
Up to the very center of the house floor
These contain the certificates the certificates are to be opened by Mike Pence he does not count them
These certificates get handed to people known as tellers
These are for lawmakers
Two from the Senate two from the house
You will see them go through these certificates in alphabetical order
Starting with Alabama you will hear something like Roy blunt look at the certificate and save this certificate from
Alabama
Seems to be regular in form and authentic
That is so many electoral votes from mr. Trump and they will proceed on down the line the moment when you are
Going to
See this come to it it's biggest had initially
Is with the state of Arizona Mike Pence is going to recognize likely a house republican from Arizona
The lawmakers were meeting right before this to determine which Republican that would be stand up and say
I object
Mike Pence has been going to verify is your objection in writing
And is that objection signed by the member of the Senate
In this case the answer will be yes there will be house Republican objectors and Senate Republican objectors
That is going to trigger the first
The debate we will see in this process the house and the Senate will split up into separate Chambers
For the Senate side you will see Ted Cruz leading that debate
Interesting way he is not going to argue that the electoral votes out of Arizona are fraudulent he is going to
His time to make the case for an electoral commission a commission similar to what happened in the 19th century
When it wasn't ex-congress who chose the ultimate president of the United States
Also look to hear from Mitch McConnell he is going to be
The very first
Speaker when the Senate debate gets underway
He has said that this is going to be one of the most consequential statements of his entire career
At stake of course for republicans and Democrats is the country's system and there's something practical here
Steak to
There is a Leighton concern among Republicans that if President Trump succeeds in suggesting the entire
Tire process is fraudulent
What could end up happening is you undercut the Electoral College which is a system that Republicans feel has
It's benefited them has enabled them to put a lot of Republicans and office and said that sort of
The stage for you
A lot to watch for it today chabon viewers understand despite all of this
Republicans contesting the Electoral College votes
This will not result in a change in the outcome of the election Joe Biden will still become
The president of the United States in two weeks
So what is the political calculus in doing this are these Republicans essentially
Auditioning for Donald Trump's base
These Republicans are auditioning
For Donald Trump's mental and the people who are speaking on the Senate side most prominently
Include Josh
Charlie and Ted Cruz who are seen
As being too
2024 presidential candidates
They are
Calculating that Trump's base
Propel them
We are already in that neck
Big political fight
Alright well chovanec you thank you so much for joining us we really appreciate your Insight
Thousands of trump supporters are rallying in the nation's capital today protesting the election results
Supporters gathered at the White House carrying American flags and Trump 2020 flag
Many could be heard chanting stop the Steal
And it's rigged
President Trump continues to claim election fraud without any evidence and continues to encourage his supporters to protest
He spoke to the crowd earlier today
Hundreds of thousands of Americans
The honesty of our elections and the integrity
About glorious Republic
All of us here today do not want to see our election
We will never give up we will never concede it doesn't happen you don't concede with his theft
The outcome of the Senate runoff races is still unknown CBS news for Jax
That Reverend Raphael Warnock has defeated incumbent Republican senator Kelly Loeffler
He will he will now BabyFirst
Black senator for the state last night or not
Shared a history
His mother
Who was a teenager growing up in Waycross Georgia
Used to pick somebody else's cup
But the other day
Because this is America
The 82-year old hands that used to pick somebody else just cotton went to the polls
I picked her youngest son
To be a United States
Senator
The race between Republican senator David Perdue and Democrat Jon ossoff is leaning Democratic but still remains
Too close to call at this time if Democrats win this seat
There will be a tie in the Senate and vice president elect Kamala Harris will be the tie-breaking vote
Alsop declared victory in a video message this morning
CBS News has not projected a winner yet in this race
He thanked voters for the confidence and Trust they placed in him
I want to bring in Leslie Sanchez and Linda Tran Leslie is a CBS News political analyst and Republicans
Justin Linda
Is a CBS News political contributor
And Democratic strategist welcome to both of you great to have you with us a little let me start with you
Democrats are on the verge of gaining the majority in the Senate
How significant would this be
For Democrat is confirmed winner
Tanya it's hard to overstate the importance of a last night's potential electoral
With a fan Reverend Warner in the Democratic column taking those seats that will mean that
Kamala Harris will have any deciding votes that come before the Senate and that's
Especially significant given that the incoming Administration is going to need that majority to make sure there are no.
Delays and its political appointments to make sure that it's able to move forward and any sort of stimulus package
In addition to addressing the Panthers are going to have very ambitious plans around climate change
Healthcare access in around a lot of different things that they are definitely going to need majorities in both the house and ask
In order to move forward
So this is really a critical moment that cements the ability for the incoming vibin ministration 2
I'll be successful and moving forward its agenda
President Trump frequently attacked the Integrity of Georgia's election and
The officials in the state of Georgia
Play depart
In the results there
It's A Tale of Two Republican parties Tanya one since you have a lot of Republicans who are blaming
Republican Georgia officials
For what they feel is bending the rules causing confusion happy voter regularities around absentee ballots
None of which was there's been Merit behind
With repeated investigations and reviews
But that lingering question
Is this a reason a lot of people are putting their fire on that the state Republican party officials why Trump is talking
About coming back in 18 months
To support you know am a primary Challenger
On the other side there's certainly going to be blame for trumpet that it tends to be that people that already
Disliked the president we're going to just continue to just like this President right but it in terms of the Republican Party
It is still Trump's Republican Party
But you don't think that perhaps some of his rhetoric is beginning
To divide the Republican Party
I think it has divided the country
Seen him at least equal to Galvanize Republicans and it
It seems like perhaps
That is starting to fray now
I don't think so I think we can't misread this
So in anyways what happened today is is a stunning defeat
Poor Republican
Absolutely no doubt
I really want to applaud
I congratulate the Democratic soon-to-be sent it to
But that doesn't take away from the fact that there's a struggle within the Republican party in terms of this populist movement
That likes a lot of what Trump was able to do they think of him it's outside traditional politics outside the traditional Republic
We can party
And they want us to continue more of those policies so this isn't an overwhelming Superman
But the Democrats have garnered it's still very slim it's too right on the line
In terms of could it's a toss-up it could go either way
Sol Republic is going to come together and kind of review what is worth what has it
What is true Tanya is that more people dislike Trump
Then just been disliked by and and that's fundamentally trumps to own
Earlier Warnock swin makes him the first black senator
In the state of Georgia only XI Senator black senator in US history
How significant is this
Well I would say that it really shines a light on the role in The Importance that the black voters
Just have played throughout the 2020 cycle absolutely it's a historic moment for Reverend Warnock its historic
For black Americans all around this country but take that in concert with the vice president-elect. like
Paris and the critical role that black voters played not only in ensuring that the Joe Biden would be the
Victory after victory during the actual general election
I think that we're going to see front-and-center a lot of discussion around how do we address racial Justice
How we address some of the police violence concerns that came up as part of 2020 but beyond that
Incredibly remarkable moment for people all around the country whether they're black
How far we've come and how much that's going to shift the dynamic about what we prioritize as a nation
All right well Linda Tran and Leslie Sanchez thanks to both of you
The coronavirus is not letting up in the US despite lawmakers using alternative measures to get the vaccine to the American p
That includes calling in the National Guard to help distribute the vaccine and trained volunteers on
Mastering it
This virus
Has infected more than 21 million people since the start of the pandemic that is nearly the entire
Elevation of Florida
More than 357.000 Americans have died from this virus
As for hospitalizations nearly a hundred and thirty-two thousand people are in the hospital right now because of the virus
More than 23000 of them are in the ICU
Nearly 8000 of them
Are on a ventilator
For more I want to bring in dr. Ashish jha he is the dean for the School of Public Health at Brown University
Doctors are welcome so great to have you with us
More than 3700 people lost their lives to this virus on Tuesday alone
Are we
Still in the holiday stirred from Thanksgiving
Or are we just now seeing a spike
From Christmas
Yeah thank you for having me on you know we are seeing the sum of the
Facts of Thanksgiving still in terms of deaths deaths can like four to six weeks from the day the pink
Section
And we have not largely seen the effects of the Christmas holiday season yet
Maybe the beginnings of the speakable seen infections
But the hospitalizations and deaths that result from the holiday season
From the Christmas holiday season we probably won't see for several more weeks
What are the California quickly the state is the epicenter right now for the country in terms of this virus things have gotten so bad there
Hospitals are rationing oxygen for patients and even Turning Away ambulances
Transporting
Patience
What do you make of this is sort of hard to hear that happening in this country
Is incredibly hard to hear this happening in this country and happening in in a city like Los Angeles
I'm major
Global City
With Incredible amount of resources but the problem is it when you have a public health disaster
As we do in our country
The health system can only cope so much
Obscene this kind of disaster happening in La over the last few weeks
Really helpful for the federal government to have gotten more resources there
Are the idea that we're running out of oxygen
I got this usually happens in in low-income countries
I really surprised to see it happening here
And as a physician what concerns you the most regarding it not just the speed and distribution of the vaccine
In the vaccine itself
But how concerned are you about these new strains specifically the one coming out of South Africa
Yeah I'm concerned there's a South African strain there is the UK strain both of them we know more about the UK one both of them appear to be
Far more contagious
That's a real problem
Because that means that the those variants are going to spread
I'm more quickly now we don't know if the South African strain is here
We definitely have very good evidence that the UK strain is probably in every part of the country
I'm very very worried about what this is going to mean in terms of number of infections hospitalizations and deaths
I in the weeks too common and I expect by March this will become the dominant variant
Across the whole country
Terms of the vaccines what do you think needs to happen how much more quickly do they need to be rolled out
It given this variant given how much how much are health systems are struggling how many people are dying
We got to make getting vaccines out and into people's arms like priority number one right now
Are we have funeral probably 30-35 million doses of this vaccine
I sitting in freezers across the country
They're doing nobody any good sitting in those fries
So we've got to figure out how to get them thought into people's arms
As quickly as possible and I like the idea of using a National Guard if that's what's helpful
All hands on deck approach here
Let's get these vaccines have specially for vulnerable Americans older Americans
Who really could benefit from these facts
Alright doctor icsi thankyou so much for joining us we appreciate it
Thank you
CBS News has learned president-elect Biden plans to nominate Merrick
Garland as his attorney general
You may remember Garland was nominated by President Obama in 2016 to serve on the US Supreme
But his nomination failed in the gop-controlled Senate
Neil Gorsuch eventually filled backseat
Garland has wide-ranging legal experience he has served as the chief judge of the US Court of Appeals
For the DC circuit since 2013
He's also practice law in the private sector
The Harvard Law grad is likely to be confirmed assuming Democrat
Take majority control of the Senate
The president of Jack to the certificate from the state of Georgia on the grounds that the electoral vote
There's no debate sections 15 and 17 of title three of the United States code requires an interjection be presented to writing
Defined by both a member of the House
A representative and a senator
Is the objection of writing and not only signed by the member but by
United States Senator
Mr. president even as people waited hours in
There's no debate
And if there's not signed by a senator
Eddie objection cannot be entertained
Mr. president
India objection is is signed by member of the house but not yet by member of the Senate
It is over
In 2017 then Vice President Joe Biden denied opposition to the Electoral College vote
From several members of his own party
Certifying then president-elect Trump's victory
And the 2016 election
Now four years later President Trump is applying pressure to vice president Mike Pence
To not
Certify the election results
Earlier Mr Trump took to Twitter saying quotes
If vice president Mike Pence comes through for us we will win the presidency
Many states want to decertify the mistake they made in certifying Incorrect and even fraudulent
Numbers in a process not approved by their state lizards legislators
Mike
Can send it back
By the way this tweet was flagged by Twitter
For a disputed Claim about election fraud
President has historically overseeing the certification of electoral count
Vote counts
In 2001 then vice-president Al Gore was forced to certify and announce the results of the
2000 election in which key lost in dramatic fashion
Two then Texas governor George W bush
George W bush of the state of Texas
Has received four presents the United States 271 votes
Tennessee
Has received 266
And our new vice president
And may God bless
The United States of America
Richard Burr called is a professor of legislation at Columbia law school and he joins me now
Professor welcome great to have you with us so
President Trump has been suggesting that vice president Mike Pence has the power to reject
Blackboard from several
Tri-State book listen
President vice president comes through for us he's a great guy
Plus if he doesn't come through I will like him quite as much
Heize
He's a wonderful man and Amanda.
A lot
But he's going to have a lot to say about it
So please set the record straight for us what legal power does the vice president actually have
Over the outcome of the electoral vote
And what is President Trump really asking of him
Vice president has absolutely no power over the accounts of the electoral vote vice president
To handle the ballot over to the tellers
Centre region results and that he is about he manages the process he doesn't have a substitute
Vice president Al Gore might be present
The vice president has no substantive role
In the county the electrical supplies president
And 6 over the process
Cancel what is the president asking of him essentially
He's actually asking them for the vice president
He's asked he's asking the vice president to act illegally
Worse than it legally unconstitutionally
In a way that violates the very structure of the presidential election
It is is it is profoundly wrong
And so at least 13 Republican Senators have said they would follow through
On the president's calls
To try and overturn president-elect Biden's Victory today
On what legal grounds do they think this challenges Justified
It's not clear what they think it's Justified I'm different
There are the rhoynar some general idea that there was something wrong with the election of the electors and some of these
Contested States
Now there be something like 60 lawsuits
All of which resolved in favor of the
The electricity were chosen actually having been chosen that rejected
All the claims of Fraud and misconduct and rig ballast
At least $60 for lawsuits federal courts state courts
But there is some notion out there that the president isn't
That there was something wrong with the electoral process that led to the selection of these electors
And that's what the
Republicans in the house
Are raising this issue
Oklahoma senator Jim inhofe has a pose a challenge saying that given the specificity of the Constitution
It would quote be a violation of my oath of office to not certify the vote
What does the Constitution State about
Challenging the Electoral College vote
Concert between the constitution of the relevant laws
Subject if you think that the electors
Either working properly elected
Warren Electric one selected did something improper
There's no claim that the electors themselves are acting improperly so
The question whether or not the electors were improperly selected
And that goes back to them
The fact that all the states
Certify that these electors won
And each one of them has been challenged
Delivery about 60 times and every single time
Has rejected as unsubstantiated without any backup any of the other time so
It would be a violation
The president is chosen by the people acting through the Electoral College
The Congress has given no substance to roll the only thing here
Would be if you
You could show that there was a mistake
A fraud or mistake made in the selection of these electors
60 quarts over the past
So do you think that today's proceedings will be setting any dangerous precedents going forward
I think it already has the idea of situation our significant
Great significance of his party and maybe many people
Think that something some crime has been committed just because they lost
Democracy is that there going to be a popular self-rule winners and losers
And the losers have to accept that they lost opportunity
To make their case
All in court
And what you're really saying here is this equivalent to
I kept losing a ball game picking up the ball
It really is quite a challenge
The whole idea of self-government
To think that
It's not possible for me 25 lost
There must have been a crime committed
Sometimes you lose
Suggest that this time
Professor Richard result of Columbia Law School thank you so much for joining us we appreciate you sharing your legal expertise with us
Thank you
Hello everyone I'm Tanya Rivero it is 1 p.m. and you're screaming CVS and thank you for joining us
We want to take you now to Capitol Hill
We're in any moment a joint session of Congress will meet to count Electoral College votes
And seal president-elect Joe Biden's November victory
Republican lawmakers are expected to challenge the results
In several key Battleground
State
For more on this let's bring in Siobhan shoes she's a congressional reporter with the Wall Street Journal
Thank you for sticking around
What would you expect to happen today how is everything going to play out in terms of what will be
Unusual about today
What's going to be unusual about today are the objections that are made that result
In a process of debates and votes
It's not uncommon for a lawmaker to raise their hand and object to the results from a particular
We saw this happen in sacks when Donald Trump was inaugurated when he was certified a lot of Democrats
Subjected to the results in some states
What is the usual is that you were going to have senators
I need a
Quit ink by Lenka
Image actions at some house
Because it appears that lawmakers
Are now entering the chamber and the proceedings are about to begin they are entering to around of applause
We're going to listen in
Thanks Yvonne will be back to you in a moment
While we are waiting for lawmakers to file in or going to bring bring back
Siobhan Hughes to discuss what we might see today
Vice president Mike Pence sent a letter out
Two Congressional lawmakers this morning
Confirming that he does not have the power to change Electoral College votes
Can you tell us about that
Yes that letter was just shared on with members of the press as well this is something that Vice Pres
Resident Mike Pence reportedly said privately to Donald Trump
And it's something but he is now going to enforce I'm mindful of the fact that we are just a few days away
From all of these lawmakers you see in front of you having sworn an oath to the Constitution that oath is Meaningful
Only if you enforce it and you are about to see that info
Action
Alright let's listen back interbank Sivan
Let us remind that each side
House and Senate
Democrats and Republicans
Each have
11 members
Allowed to be present on the floor
Others making in the gallery
This is at the Garden
August
Officiating a attending physician
The sergeants-at-arms
The gentleman
On the Republican side of the aisle please
Observe
The social distancing
And agreeing to what we have 11 numbers on each side
Responsibilities
This chamber to this responsibility
At 2 this
House of Representatives
Please exit the floor if you do not have an assigned role
Leadership
You can share with your staff if you want to have a few more but you cannot
Together
More of the house with that many people in here and I thank the Senate
And the Democrats
Madam speaker members of Congress
Pursuant to the Constitution and the laws of the United States
The Senate and House of Representatives are meeting a joint session
Verify the certificates and counts the votes of the electors and the several States
President and Vice President of the United States
After ascertainment has been had that the certificates are authentic
Incorrect inform
Tellers will count and make a list of the votes cast by the electors of the several States
The tellers on the part of the two houses
Have taken their places at the clerk's desk
Tom Jackson
The tellers will dispense with the reading
The formal portions of the certificates
After ascertaining that the certificates are regular in form and authentic
The tellers will announce the votes
Cast by the electors for each state beginning with Alabama
Which the parliamentarians advise me is the only certificate of vote
From that state and for ports to be returned from the state
Annex to add a certificate from an authority of that state for porting
2.0
Or ascertain
Collectors
Virginia
For what purpose does the gentleman from Virginia run
Vice president
In order to follow with the speaker's instructions that only a limited number of people be on the floor
May I ask how one would make an objection or make a parliamentary inquiry in the future
If you're not on the floor but in the gallery
Under Section 18 of title 3 of the United States code
Debate is not permitted in the joint session
Gentlemen's recognize
Point of order would be made
In following with the speakers
Requested most of us not be on the floor
How do you make one of those points of order when you don't know what's going to happen later
Respectfully
The gentlemen's parliamentary inquiry constitutes debate
Which is not permitted in the joint session under Section 18 of title 3
United States code
Probably Botana
Mr. president order in the chamber
Mr. president
The certificate of the electoral vote of the state of Alabama seems to be regular inform and authentic
And appears they're from
The Donald J Trump of the State of Florida
And Michael R Pence of the state of Indiana
Received votes for vice president
Are there any objections to counting the certificate of vote of the state of Alabama
At the teller has verified appears to be
Regular in form and authentic
Hearing none
This certificate from Alaska the parliamentarians advise me is the only certificate of vote from that state that
Purports to be a return from the state
And that is annexed to it a certificate
Authority of the state for porting
Kill point in ascertain
Electors
Mr. president of the state of Alaska
To be regular in form and authentic
Canada pairs there from
The Donald J Trump at the State of Florida received three votes for president
And Michael R Pence the state of Indiana received three votes for vice president
Are there any objections to counting the certificate of vote of the state of Alaska
The teller has verified
Appears to be regular informant authentic
Hearing none
This certificate from Arizona
The parliamentarians advise me is the only certificate about that the state for points to be a return from the state
Xanax to get a certificate from an authority of that state
Reporting to a point or ascertain electors
Mr. president
This certificate of the electoral votes of the State of Arizona
Seems to be regular in form and authentic
And it appears therefrom
Biden Jr
Of the state of Delaware received 11 votes for president and Kamala.
Of California
Received 11 votes for vice president
Are there any objections to counting the certificate of vote
Of the State of Arizona that the teller is verified appears to be regular and format authentic
7ty Paul gosar from Arizona a gentleman from Arizona
Over myself and 60 of my colleagues to abject
Counting the Electoral
Ballots from Arizona
What is the objection in writing and signed by a senator
Yes it is
Interjection presented in writing and signed by both a representative and a senator
Complies with the law
Chapter 1 of title 3 of the United States code
The clerk will report the objection
Objection to counting the electoral votes of the State of Arizona
We a member of the House of Representatives
Senator
Object to the counting of the electoral votes of the State of Arizona
On the grounds that they were not
Under all of the known circumstances
Regularly given
Are there further objections to the certificates from the state
Arizona
Chair hears none
Two houses will withdrawing from joint session
Each house will deliberate separately on the pending objection
And report his decision back
Did The Joint session
The Senate will now retire to his chamber
Alright we've been listening to lawmakers go through the normal procedure of resent
Dang and approving the Electoral College
Votes they go in alphabetical order through all the states
They hit a snag at Arizona where it was expected that
Republican lawmakers would have Jacks so now they are retiring it to both houses of Congress
Birth to the basis points
We're going to bring in now Savon shoes a congressional reporter for the Wall Street Journal
To give us a little bit more inside
Into what's been happening here
This was expected
We knew when lawmakers got to Arizona
This was going to happen but tell us about next steps
Next Step that he mentioned are
Two Chambers both debating so house lawmakers will say on the house side to Senators now marching back to the
The Senate chamber that begins this debate
We understand that on the Senate side the very first first person to speak is going to be Majority Leader Mitch
Who feels this is going to be one of the most consequential set of speeches of his career
He has argued that it is a terrible idea
The challenge the results of this election he feels it undercuts the foundation of the Constitution
I thought you're going to see him in this and since going head-to-head essentially
Ted Cruz who is taking the lead on challenging the results from Arizona
Innocent what we are about to see
Is
A civil war within the Republican Party
Playing out on live television and that will take place as well on the house side
It's fascinating it's hard to overstate the back of we are seeing serve history unfolding here
I want to bring in professor
Richard Burr Falls of Columbia Law School can you give us some contacts has anything like this ever happen
We know there have been
Contentious presidential elections in US history before
What we're seeing right now that that happened before
Professor workout
Yes I am
Thank you so much go ahead
You again
Soon as we fix your audio
But Shabana perhaps you can speak to that question this certainly is
Unprecedented in modern times is it not
Well
We did in 2005
See an objection signed by both a house lawmaker and a senate lawmaker regarding
The results
From Ohio and that instance it was a Democrat
The late Stephanie Tubbs Jones joining with Senator Barbara Boxer of California to complain and Park
Because of
What they claimed were
The deprivation of
Voting rights to African-Americans in that state so this is not without
Precedence
Inform
But I would say it is without
Precedent in degree we have never seen this many objections set to get a vote and
This degree of a challenge
Professor are you with us now
Yes I am sorry about that
Oh yeah I was our fault but the audio
Can you
You know sort of give us some of the Constitutional contacts
For this
We know now that both houses
Are convening to be no debate the point of objection
Differences we know the Republicans control the Senate
You know if the arguments made in the senate or enough to let's say
Convince enough Republicans to vote that there were some irregularities in Arizona
Could that
Throw a wrench into the rest of the day
It couldn't wouldn't change the outcome things are there going to be out for about 2 hours
But no not even if
But even if all the Republicans in the Senate voted to reject Arizona under the
87
Autotech to giving us the procedure for handling Electoral College disputes
Both Chambers
All would have to reject
An underweight have to reject
All the electoral votes submitted by a state if there's only one set of electoral votes submitted
And the
Vice president just said there was just one from Arizona
Under the law
They can only be rejected if both Chambers agreed to rejected
And
Even if bought every Republican in the Senate voted no and it's a number Republicans in the Senate said they're going to accept
All that would not be enough to long as the house
Decline store check-in right. Democrats have a majority in the house
So this will take time
How many Republicans choose to vote no in both Chambers
But
It's very hard to see the outcome changing
Given the fact that you would need both Chambers to vote no
In order to reject Arizona's butts
So it's your fault just said no matter what the Senators decide
The fact is Democrats control the house there is no conceivable way both
Houses of Congress would vote to reject
Arizona's electoral votes
The
The results here the fact that there is very little Republicans can do
To stop this from going forward
Why would they be doing this is a purely political calculus we understand but what is to stop than all the
Republicans from just jumping on board saying hey you know what I might as well not anger President Trump
Since nothing's going to change anyway
Well there are a couple of things at play here number one you have people like Mitt Romney
You are watching
Wing of their party and Gage and what he views as essentially an assault on the Constitution
So someone like me around 8 and he is not alone
It's simply not going to jump into that pond
You also have something practical at play here though
There is a consequence to
Questioning the legitimacy of the election process and that is called
The Electoral College that is a system in which the American people pick their presidents
I don't technically vote for a president but they vote for electors these are the 538 people
Doncaster balance for the presidency
Progressives want to get rid of the
After all.
Orange on the grounds that they think it gives way too much power to Republicans
It is not democratic
If you have Republicans also now questioning the Electoral College
You are setting up a situation and which Republicans are at risk of losing this system that they feel
Has been very helpful in terms of electing Republican presidents so that is a piece of what's going on here
Siobhan again because it looks like
Something is continuing what's listening
On the ground that they were
That they were not
Under all of the known circumstances regularly given
Signed Paul gosar representative State of Arizona
Ted Cruz Senator state of Texas
The charitable Endeavor to alternate recognition between number seeking support of the objection
And never seeking opposition
To the objection
The chair represents recognizes the gentleman from Louisiana mr. scalise
For 5 minutes
Thank you madam speaker
Today to object
To a number of states
That did not follow the Constitutional requirement for selecting
Collectors
Madam speaker this is something that is clear that our founding fathers
Debated
About as a fundamental
Decision of how we choose our president
There was a lot of back-and-forth if anyone reads
The founding documents of our country
About
The different versions they went through to ultimately come up with a process
Where each state has elections
Each state
Has a process
For selecting
Their electors
And sending them to Washington and Madam speaker in a number of those States
That constitutional process was not
Followed and that's why we're here to abject
If you look
But what the requirements says
Nowhere
In Article 2 Section 1 does it
Give the Secretary of State
August 8th that ability
Nowhere does it give the governor that ability doesn't give
Court
That ability it exclusively gives that ability to the legislators and in fact in Most states that
The process that was followed
But for those States
Set this
Wasn't followed
Unfortunately this is.
No
Which scene
Over and over again
More states where the Democrat Party has going in
Is selectively going around this process
That has to end Madam speaker we have to follow the Constitutional process
Why some people don't like the process laid out by legislative body
Madam speaker I served on one of those legislative bodies
What I was in the state legislature for 12 years
The laws
4 Hour States
Election
And I could tell you when we had to make changes
Those were extensively negotiated
We would have people on both sides come Republicans and Democrats Madam speaker
What get together to work
Through those changes any my new change
How appreciation would function
2 how what change would be made in the time of an election signature requirements all the many things
Involved
Carrying out the duties
In each Parish in our case
You would see people come and give testimony
Madam speaker both sides could come there in the hearing room it was an open process by
By the way
Not behind closed doors in a smoke-filled room
Where somebody might want to bully a secretary of state to get a different
Versions that might benefit
Them or their party or their calles
That's not what our founding fathers said is the process
Maybe it's how some people wanted to carry it out
But they laid out that process
And so when we would have to make those changes they were in public view they were heavily debated
And then ultimately
Those laws were changed in advance of the election so everybody
Knew what the rules were
People on both sides
Know how to play the rules before the game started not getting somewhere in the process and saying well you don't think
Go to benefit you
So you try to go around the Constitution
That's not how our system works
It's gotten out of hand
It's your President Trump is called this out
Did President Trump has stood up to it so many of us
Have stood up to it
Over a hundred of my colleagues not a speaker asked to Supreme Court
To address this problem
Just a few weeks ago
Unfortunately
The court chose to punt
Didn't answer one way or the other day didn't want to get in the middle of this discussion
We don't have that luxury today
We have to discuss this we have to fix
This in fact on our first
Full day of this Congress
Many of us brought legislation
To the house floor to start fixing the problems with our elections to restore integrity
To the election process which has been lost by so many millions of Americans
Way2go
Every single Republican voted to reform the process
Every single Democrat voted against it
They don't want to fix this problem
What the Constitution
Is our God
And it's time we start following the Constitution
It's time we get back
What our founding father said is the process
For selecting electors that's the legislators
In public View
Not behind closed doors that Smoke Filled Room
Not bullying somebody that might give you a better ruling let's get back to rule
Pablo and follow the Constitution Madam speaker to my phone
Dermatologist fire
Accidental woman
What purpose does the gentlewoman from California seek recognition
Protections gentleman is recognized for my speakers
Speaker this day marks a Crossroads for American democracy
Those who objected the counting of the Electoral College votes
Which reflect the votes of the American people
What's the what does substitute their preferences for the voters choice
That's not what I Constitution requires
It's at odds with American Democratic Republic
Select the next president instead of American voters
Will have no need for an electoral college in fact
We have no need for presidential elections at all
We be moving from a government elected by the people
Two governments elected by those already governing
That's not America
In the United States we abide by the choices of the people not an elite few
The framers of our Constitution considered whether to have Congress elect the president
And specifically rejected it
Instead they would Article 2 and the 12th Amendment
Article 2 creates the Electoral College
Reid State appoints electors
Laws of all 50 states and DC require electors
The vote for the winner of the state's popular election
Each state provides for the orderly conduct of Elections
Including waffle challenges recounts and the like
The 12th Amendment is what brings us to today
It says the electors meet in their states that happened December 14th
Transmit them to a seal that's been done
The sealed envelopes containing the sign certified ballast from each State's electors
Reflecting the both of the people wearing those mahogany boxes
The 12th Amendment directs the president
Open the sealed envelope
And then the vote shall be counted simple
It doesn't matter
It's so members of Congress to the vice president might prefer no
The boat
Or simply to be counted as certified and transmitted by the states
During reconstruction after the Civil War
More than once
Inflatable actors were appointed by States
Dueling list for Santa and protracted process these were undertaken in presidential elections
And as a result
To make an orderly process
Congress enacted the Electoral count Act of 1887
This law governs our proceedings today
The ACT
Dispute
Resolution mechanism
Under the ECA if Governor certifies a slate of electors and there are no competing slaves from that state
The governor of certified slate must be counted
Today every single flavor electors won by Joe Biden or one by Donald Trump
Other Governors certification
Not a single state submitted a competing slay there's no dispute resolved
The 2020 election
What's the most secure election conducted in modern history
Challenge word resolve
By Waffle recounting order
The result
Vice President Biden won the 2020 election
More than 60 lawsuits were filed
I'm contesting elements of the election process
None of these lawsuits prevail
As even president trumps
OMG judicial appointees ruled there was no evidence of any wrongdoing that would change the outcome
The people spoke
It was not a close election
The margin of victory for Biden in 2020
Was larger than Trump's margin
In 2016
In fact the Biden victory
Is one of the most decisive in modern times
Exceeding the margin enjoyed by Reagan when he defeated Carter in 1980
Congress is gathered and Joint session
Dekat electoral vote
Every four years since 1789
I understand the disappointment people feel when their candidate for president loses
I felt several times in my voting life
When that happens
It's not an invitation to upend the Constitution
And the laws of the United States
It's an invitation to work with the new present for the good of the country
Wait for the next election in 4 years if you are dissatisfied
In that spirit
I heard my colleagues to a pole
We're going to take you over to the Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is addressing Senators let's listen in
The court rejected these claims
Including All Star judges
From the president himself is Domino's
Every election
We know feature senamhi legality
An irregularity and of course
That's unacceptable
Passaporte strong state
Lead voting reforms
Last year's Bazaar
Pandemic procedures
Must not become
The new Norm
But my colleagues nothing before us Cruise
Illegality
Anywhere near
The massive scale
It would have
Tipped the entire
Election
Norton
Public doubt alone
Justify a radical break
When the doubt itself
Was incited without any other
The Constitution
Iran Congress or limited role
We cannot simply declare ourselves and National
Board of Elections on steroids
The voters
Chords
Devastation
Hello spoke
The ball spoke
If we overrule them
It would damage our Republic
Forever
This elected actually was not unusually close
Justin recent history 1976
Mm
And 2004r all closer
Biblical card
College margin
Is almost identical
What it was
An 2016
This election were overturned
By mere allegations from the losing side
Our democracy would enter a death spiral
Would never see the whole nation except
Election again
Every four years would be a Scramble for power
At any cost
Electoral college
Most of us on this side of been defending for years
Would cease to exist
Leaving
Many of our state's
What do real say it all in choosing a present
Fairfax
Would go even Beyond
Self-government my college requires
A shared commitment
To the truth
Enter shared respect
For the ground rules
A bar system
Weekend
Keep drifting apart
And the two separate tribes
With a separate set of facts
And separate reality
With nothing in common except our hostility towards each other and mistrust for the few National institutions
That we all feel share
Every time
In the last 30 years
The Democrats are lost
Presidential race
They try to challenge
Just like this
After 2000
Happier 2004
After
2016
After 2004 Senator joined and force the same debate
And believe it or not Democrats like Harry Reid Dick Durbin and Hillary Clinton praise
Praise them
And applauded the stock
Republicans condemn those bases efforts back then
That we just spent 4 years condemning Democrat shameful attacks on the validity of President Trump's Arnold
So what there can be no double said
The media that is outraged
Today
It's been 4 years aiding and abetting Democrat attacks
On our institutions
After they lost
But we must not
Imitate
An Escalade
What we repudiate
Our duty is to govern for the public good
United States Senate has a higher calling
Been an endless
Spiral
A partisan
Vengeance
Congress will either override the voters
Overruling
The voters the stage
And the courts
For the first time ever
Or honor the people's decision
Malaysia guaranteed Democrats delegitimizing efforts after 2016 to come up
Permanent
New routine for both sides
Or declare that our nation deserves a lot better than this
Bellator Haitian
Down a poisonous path
We're only the winners of election actually accept the results
Or shall we can still muster the Patriotic
Courage that our forebears showed
Not only in Victory but in the face
The framers built the Senate to stop short-term passions from boiling over
And melting
The foundations of our Republic
So I believe
Protecting our constitutional order
Requires respecting the limits
Tyrone Power
It would be unfair and wrong to Justin fries
Disenfranchised American voters and overrule Accords
Anastasia
August
Extraordinarily
Patience
And I will not pretend such a boat would be a harmless
Protest roster
While relying on others
To do the right thing
How about to respect the people decision and defend our system of government
As we know it
Equator
Mr. president
Vice president
As prescribed by the Constitution and the laws of the nation
The purpose of this joint session is foretellers
Pointed on a bipartisan basis by the two houses
To read
To the Congress the results of an election that is already happen
We are here to receive an announcement to vote
That is already been certified by every state in the Union
And confirmed
By the courts
Many times
Many times over
We're here to watch the current vice-president open envelopes
And received the news of a verdict
That is already been rendered
It is a solemn
And ogust occasion
No Doubt
But it
Is a formality
The Congress does not determine the outcome of Elections
The people do
The Congress is not endowed with the power to administer elections
AR state
Are given that power
By the end of the proceedings today
It will be confirmed once again
Something that is well-known
And well saddle
The American people
Elected Joe Biden
And Kamala Harris
To be the next president
And vice president
Of the United States
And yet
The number of our colleagues have organized
The undermining abject
To that free and fair election
They're in the minority
They will lose
They know that
They have no evidence of widespread voter fraud upon which to base their objections
That's because there is none
There is none
Not brought before any of the Courts
Successfully
They know the President Trump and his allies
Have suffered defeat
A defeat in in court
After court
Across the country
Losing no fewer than 62
Legal challenges
And I might add many republican-appointed judges some appointed by President Trump
Rendered those decisions
They know
You all know
At Joe Biden and Kamala Harris
Are going to be sworn in as President and Vice President of the United States
On January 20th
But they are going to a jet to the counting of the vote anyway
And in the process
They will embarrass themselves
They will embarrass their party
And worst of all
They will embarrass
Their country
Is Insurrection with fortunately
Discouraged
By the leadership of the majority party
But it was not quilt
It is a very sad comment on our times
That merely accepting the results of an election
Is considered an act of political courage
Saturn more dangerous still is the fact that nellum into the Republican Party
Believe their political viability hinges on the endorsement of an attempted coup
That anyone
Much less an elected official
Would be willing to tarnish our democracy
In order to burnish their personal political fortunes
Over the course of the afternoon
And however far into the evening this band of Republican objectors wants to take us
Senators of Goodwill from both sides of the aisle
Will explain
Why these challenges must be dismissed
The senators from States whose electoral votes are being challenged
Will explain
Have the allegations of fraud are baseless
Any substantial bipartisan majority
Must vote to put down these objections
And defend the sanctity of our elections and indeed
Indeed
Are great and Grand
Democracy
Because that's what we're talkin about
Today
The help
About democracy
His wonderful beautiful Grand democracy
For the peaceful passing of the torch
Is extolled by schoolchildren the second grade
But not by something here
As we speak
Half of our voters are being conditioned
By the outgoing president
To believe that when his party loses an election
The results might not be legitimate
As we speak
The eyes of the world are on this chamber questioning whether America is still
The shining example
Democracy
The Shining City on the hill
What message we send today
What message will we send today
To our people
To the world that has so looked up to us for centuries
What message will we send two fledgling democracy
Who study our constitution mirror our laws and traditions in the hopes that they too
Can build our country
Rule by the consent of the governed
What message will we send to those countries
Core democratic Values around the results
And look to watch to see if those values
I still
Worth Fighting For
What message
But we send to every dark corner the world
What human rights are betrayed
Elections are stolen
Human dignity
Denied
What will they show those people
What we show
Those people that there's a better way
To ensure Liberty
An opportunity of humankind
Sadly
Small band of Republican objectors Madoc in the view of our democracy
Today
But a larger blue
Are senators and house members from both sides of the aisle
Can send a message to
The Democracy that democracy beats deep in the hearts of our citizens in our elected representatives
That we are a country of laws and I'm not men
That our Traditions are not so easily discarded
Even by our president
Backpacks man
The truth matters
They want democracy allows free speech and free expression
Even if that expression is anti-democratic
There will always always be praise God
A far broader and stronger Coalition ready to push back
And defend everything
We hold dear
We can send that message today
By voting in large and overwhelming numbers to defeat these objections
My Collie
We've sworn out
Just three days ago
That we would defend and support
The Constitution of the United States
Against all enemies
Foreign
And domestic
That we would bear true faith
An allegiance
To the same
We swore that we took this obligation freely
Without any mental reservation
For purpose of evasion
And that we could well and Faithfully discharge the duties of the office
We were about to enter
So help us God
Precise words of a toe
Will shortly written
After the Civil War
When the idea of true faith and allegiance to this country and its Constitution
Took an enormous meaning
Let those words
Ringing in the ears of every
Senator
Today
Let us do our duty
It's a sport to support
And defend
The Constitution
Of the United States
So help us God
Majority Leader are you adopted five minutes of the senator from Texas under Cruise
Best president
Senator
We gather together
At a moment of great tradition
At a moment of great passion
We have seen and no doubt will continue to see
A great deal of moralizing from both sides of the aisle
But I would urge to both sides perhaps
A bit less
Certitude
And a bit more recognition
That we are gathered at a time when the accuracy
Is in crisis
Recent polling shows that 39% of Americans
Believe the election that just occurred quote
What's richt
You may not agree with that assessment
But it is nonetheless a reality for nearly half the country
I would know it is not just Republicans who believe that
31% of Independence
Agree with that statement
17% of Democrats
Believe the election was rigged
Even if you do not share that conviction
It is a responsibility I believe this office to acknowledge that is a profound threat to this country
And to the legitimacy of any administration's that will come in the future
I want to take a moment to speak to my Democratic colleagues
I understand
Your guy is winning right now
If Democrats vote as a Bloc
Joe Biden will almost certainly be certified as the next president of the United States
I want to speak to the Republicans are considering voting against these objection
I understand your concern but I urge you to pause and think
What does it say to the nearly half the country that believes this election was rigged if we both
Not even to consider the claims
David legality
And fraud in this election
And I believe there's a better way
The leaders just spoke about setting aside the election let me be clear I am not arguing
For setting aside the result of this election
All of us are faced with two choices both of which are lousy one choices vote against the objection
And tens of millions of Americans will see a vote against the objections has a statement that voter fraud doesn't matter
Battery isn't real and shouldn't be taken seriously
And a great many of us don't believe that
On the other hand
Most if not all of us believe we should not set aside the results of an election
Just because our candidate may not have prevail
And so I am Deborah to look for door number three a third option in for that I look to history
To the president of the 1876 election
The hayes-tilden election where this Congress
Appointed electoral Commission
Examine claims of voter fraud five house members
Five Senators five Supreme Court Justices
Examine the evidence and render to judgment
And what I would urge of this body is that we do the same
That we appointed electoral commission to conduct a 10-day emergency audit
Consider the evidence
And resolve the claims for those on the Democratic Iowa who says
Say there is no evidence they been rejected
Then you should rest in Comfort if that's the case
Electoral commission would reject those claims
Show respect the voters simply telling the voters
Go jump in a lake
The facts
But you have deep concerns is of no moment to us
That jeopardizes I believe
The legitimacy
Abyss and subsequent election
The Constitution gives to Congress the responsibility this day
To count the votes
The framers knew what they were doing when they gave responsibilities to Congress we have
A responsibility
And I would urge that we follow the precedent of 1877
The Electoral count explicitly allows objection such as this one
Four boats that were not regularly given
Then let me be clear this objection is for the State of Arizona but it is broader than that
It is an objection for all six of the contested States
They have a credible objective
Impartial body hear the evidence
And make
A conclusive determination
That wouldn't benefit
Both sides
That wouldn't prove legitimacy of this election and Soul by colleagues
All of us take our responsibilities seriously
I would urge my colleagues don't take
Perhaps the E-ZPass
But instead Act
Together us Stanish
The viewer is enacted a bipartisan sense
To say we will have a credible and fair Tribunal
Consider the claims consider the facts
Consider the evidence
And make a conclusive determination whether and to what extent
This election complied with the Constitution
And what's federal law
Senator for Minnesota
Mr. president I first would like say appreciate of the words of our leader Senator Schumer
As well as Senator McConnell's call for a higher calling
January 6th is not typically a day of historical significance for a country for centuries
This day is simply the day that we received each day
Certified Electoral votes
And it is come and Gone without much fanfare
In fact this is only the third time in a hundred twenty years at the Senate is gathered to debate
An objection and is Senator Cruz well knows
Both times he's objections were resoundingly defeated the last time the vote was 74 to 1
Why
Because Senators have long believed that they should not mess around with the will of the people
They have understood the words of our great former calling John McCain from the state of Arizona
Unsaid
Nothing in life is more liberating
Spent to fight for a cause larger than yourself
In this case my colleagues are caught
Despite our political differences
Is to preserve our American democracy
To preserve our Republic because it's someone once said long ago
It's a republic
If you can keep it
No I appreciate all my Democratic and Republican colleagues
Who has joined our ranks
Aku Fighters
Who have stood up for our democracy
To stand tall for our Republic and who believed in an ideal greater than ourselves
Other than our political parties
That idealism Erica
And Senator Cruz he knows the best
On January 20th Joe Biden and.
Harrah's
Will be sworn in as president vice president United States he knows that president-elect buying one more boats and
Any president in history and more than 7 million more votes than President Trump
Despite the unfounded conspiracy theory Senator Cruz
He knows that high-ranking officials
In President Trump's Homeland Security Department of
But the 2020 election
Was quote
The most secure in American history
And if he wants to improve the numbers in his own party that he just mention of people believing in our elections
Maybe he should start Consulting with them or maybe he should start Consulting with Attorney General
Who said that he has found no evidence of widespread fraud in the 2021 election
We don't have to go back to 1877 my calling
Senator Cruz knows that 80 judges including conservative judges including judges confirmed
In this chamber nominated by President Trump has thrown out these lawsuits
Calling them baseless inadequate and Country both to the play meeting of the constitutional text
Uncommon Sense
And he knows that all 10 living defense secretaries including both of Trump's defense secretary
Dick Cheney Donald Rumsfeld William Cohen
He knows that all these leaders have come together
To say that the scurrilous attacks on our democracy must stop
And we must allow for a peaceful transition of power
Senator Sinema will fill you in on the specific facts as to why this election
Was sound and true in Arizona
Butter summary
President Trump received 1661686 boats
In the state
President-elect in 670 mm
143b
Meaning that he won the states
By 10457 folks
On November 30th
After Arizona's Republican Governor the Secretary State the attorney General and the conservative chief
Disobey Arizona Supreme Court certified the results of the election
The governor actually said
We do elections well here in Arizona the system is strong
Eight post-election lawsuits brought in Arizona to challenge the results were dismissed by judges
Nine members of the house from Arizona were elected in the same election
Including for Republica
And colleagues I did not see Senator Cruz
Oviraptor swearing-in in the House of Representative Sunday
Asking for an audit
He did not stop
Their swearing-in
Because there was no fraud
And he did not ask for an audit because we had a fair election
I will end with it
My friend Roy blunt my fellows rules committee leader
Many years ago found a stack
A bust of a man at the top of a bookcase
Didn't research historian
And he could find out was that no one knew who this guy was
Except that he was a cleric
Pencil statue is called the unknown cleric
Not at the time our leaders thought this man import enough
But they would warrant a statue for him
But today no one knows
Who he is
Senator wants message to school kids and Senators alike that visit his office
When he shows them the statue
What we do here
Is more important
Then Who We Are
Senators what matters is not our Future's not our own short-term destinies
What matters is Percy's destiny
Because I think many of us know that people will not know who we are
A hundred years from now or two hundred years from now
But what they will know is this
They will know what we did today
How we voted today
And that
Is more important
Then Who We Are
It's a republic
If we can keep it
Thank you mr. president I heal before
Charlie later
How you doing 5-minute to the senator from Pennsylvania send it to me
Senator from Pennsylvania
Thank you mr. president and I intend later to address the specifics of Pennsylvania if and when
An objection is raised with regard to Pennsylvania for now
I want to address my remarks to what I think is the fundamental question being posed
By the objectors
And that is does Congress have
The Constitutional Authority
The decide
Which state's electoral college
Boats
Should be counted
And which should not
Based on how well we think they ran their election
This is what the objectors are really asking us to do
The federal eyes
Elections
By rejecting Electoral College votes from States whose processes they say they disapprove of
And thereby having Congress
Select the president of the United States
Instead of the American people
Dancer mr. president is no there is no such Authority
Under the Constitution
Constitution assigns to the states
The responsibility to conduct elections
Clear
Article 2 Section 1
Tennis courts with a responsibility to adjudicate disputes
Bandit signs to Congress
The ministerial function of counting ballots
Except for extreme circumstances such as when a state sends competing slates of electors
The Congress
Which brings me to the 1877
President some objectives claim
To merely want a commission to conduct an audit and then let States decide
Whether to send
Different electors
Refers to situations or not at all analogous
In 1877 Congress had before it two slates of electors from several States
Here there are no Trump electors from swing States
There's just fine the elect
Second legislators from the swing States
They made their decision they chosen not to send us alternative
Electro
The commission really
Completely impractical and we all know it with 14 days to go
Sephora constitutionally-mandated inauguration
But look at it this way if the objectors are right and it really is congress's job to
To sit in judgment on the worthiness of the states electoral process
What's the criteria
Acceptable election process these investigations have been conducted
Of these processes what body has deemed a certain States
Processes are unacceptable what opportunities were the states given
To challenge the findings
Why are the objectives objecting only
The swing states that President Trump lost
What about the ones you want
North Carolina California
If this is all supposed to be congress's job you think we have answers to these questions
And procedures in place
Because we would have done this every four years right
But we don't
Cuz it's not our job
Adopt us new president that we sit in Judgment of States processes
Then we're federalizing the election law we would necessarily have to establish
The permissible criteria and rules
For the states
The ballot harvesting example it's illegal in some states it's encouraged than others
Does it become mandatory or forbidden depending on who's in control of Congress
As the leader point out
It would be the end of the Electoral College
The Electoral College is the mechanism by which the people select
The president
But Congress gets to decide which states get to vote
In the Electoral College then clearly versus selecting the president
Not the people
Whichever party controls both houses of Congress would control the presidency the public would never tolerate Congress picking the president setup
Abolish the Electoral College
As many of our colleagues
Would like to do
And the end of the Electoral College of course means
The nation will be governed by a handful of big blue States and regions
They can drum up a very large numbers best president
Constitution does not assign to Congress
The responsibility
To judge the worthiness
Upstate election
Prophecies nor its adherence
To its rules
That's the responsibility of the states in the courts
Conclude with this
I voted for President Trump
I publicly endorsed President Trump
I campaign for President Trump
I did not want Joe Biden
To win this election
There's something more important to me than having my preferred candidate sworn in as the next president
And that's to have the American people's chosen
Candidate
Sworn in
As an ex-president
A fundamental defining feature of a Democratic Republic is the right of the people to elect their own leaders
It's now our Duties are responsibilities
To ensure that that right is respected in this election
And preserved
For future elections
Vote against this objection
Democratic leader
Vice president
Senator from the great state of Arizona
Senator Sinema
Senator from Arizona
Thank you mister president
I rise today to share the facts about Arizona's recent election
Enter urge my colleagues to step away
From divisive political rhetoric
Except words
Renewing America's faith in our democracy
The 2020 Arizona election was a success
Not for anyone party or individual
The demonstration of the will of the voters
A record 80%
Register voters participated
Thanks to local Arizona election officials who ensured our system worked
Arizona has offered early voting for more than 100 years
Email system includes
Strict safeguards
All ballot include tracking mechanisms
And tamper-resistant envelopes
Election staff are trained to authenticate signatures
Arizona imposes severe criminal punishment
4 ballot tampering
The Arizona elections produce a bipartisan results
In which members of both parties One races
And these results have been confirmed by stakeholders
Across the political Spectrum
Republican chairman of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors said
No matter how you voted
This election was administered with integrity
Transparency
And in accordance with Arizona state laws
The Republican speaker of the Arizona State House
Rejected calls for the legislature
To overturn the election
Saying
As a Conservative Republican
I don't like the results of the presidential election
But I cannot and will not
Entertaining suggestion that we violate current law
To change the outcome
Eight challenges contesting the Arizona election
Brought to federal and state courts
All 8
Orbitron or dismissed
Including a unanimous ruling
Are the Arizona Supreme Court
The Chief Justice robe
The Challenge Fails to present any evidence of misconduct
Or illegal votes
Let alone establish any degree of fraud
Sufficient error rate
Undermine the certainty of the election results
During a recent Committee hearing I asked a simple question of the former director of cybersecurity and infrastructure security
Did he find any evidence
Disputing Integrity or fairness of Arizona's election
His answer was simple
No
Arizona an AR-15 counties
Should be congratulated for running a secure election
Perhaps the most heartening demonstration of Arizona's election success
Is Joseline from Phoenix
18 years old
It was a first-time voter in 2020
So what's Rachel from Tucson
1000 more arizonans
2 for the first time
Exercise their constitutional right
To decide their own leaders
Today's challenge
Arizona's election
Tails any factual analysis
More disturbingly
It seeks to Rob Jocelyn
And Rachel
More than 3 million arizonans
Other Free Fair election
Those of us who were trusted with elected office
Our first and foremost
Public servants
We serve our constituents
We do not seek to substitute our personal ambitions
For the will of the American people
Our system allows for a continuous contest of ideas
And those voters who support the losing side of a free
Fair election
Have not been disenfranchised
Rather they maintain
Just as an important voice in America's future
And leaders have a duty
To serve all of our constituents
Including those who voted for other candidates
Great leaders in our history
Face the choice of whether to take an action strengthening our democracy
Even if a different action
Would better serve their political ambitions
Many are revered today because they chose our Republic
Over their self-interest
It's putting my personal hero
Senator John McCain
Following his presidential on Senator McCain said
The American people have spoken
Senator Obama and I have argued our differences and he has prevailed
Whatever our differences
We are fellow Americans
He spoke to the nearly 60 million Americans who voted for him saying
It is natural tonight
To feel some disappointment
But tomorrow
We must move Beyond it
And work together
To get our country moving again
Senator McCain was right
Today we have serious significant work to do
Beating this pandemic and Reviving our economy
Urge my colleagues
To follow the example of Senator John McCain and so many others
Reject this meritless challenge
And uphold the will
Of Arizona voters
Thank you
Geordie later
Who's president to the senator from Oklahoma senator Lankford
Senator from Oklahoma
America we settle our differences and elections
What happens if you don't trust the election count
We are concerned that so many quarts
Denied or dismiss cases within hours after they were given thousands of pages of evidence
The reason we have a Congress to settler Nations divisions in the rules
Have the senate make sure that every opinion in the nation is heard
It's okay she's like this can be address
The Constitutional crisis in our country right now
Is that millions of Americans are being told to sit down and shut up
Their opinions matter
During the Electoral Challenge on January 6th 2005
Senator Ted Kennedy stood on this floor and said this
He said I commend the many thousands of citizens in Massachusetts and other states
Who insisted on treating today's electoral vote count in Congress as a meaningless ritual would be in feet
Insult to our democracy
Unless we register our own protest against the obviously flawed voting process
That look took place in so many states
We are hopeful he said that this major issue that goes to the heart of our democracy is now firmly implanted
On the agenda for Effective action by Congress
In quote
I agree
United States Constitution does not allow me
To assign different electors to a state nor should it
United States Constitution does not give the option to the vice president of the United States to just unilaterally decide
Which states are in and out and it should not
Each state decides it's electors
Through its people
But small group of senators including myself
Have demanded that we not ignore the questions that millions of people are asking in our nation
So we have proposed to constitutional solution
Pause the count
Get more facts to the stage
Before January 20th
We propose to 15-member commission just like what was done after the failed election of 1876
Encouraging people to spend 10 days
Going through all the issues so states can have
One last opportunity
To address any challenges
Didn't the states as the Constitution directs
Would make the final decision on their electors
I have some colleagues who said that attend a commission is not enough time
So they have counter proposed
Just ignoring the lingering question
We need to do something
My challenge today
Is not about the good people of Arizona
Thank you
So a little recap of what we've been listening into here in the Senate while simultaneously
A debate was playing out on the house
Floor
Significantly we heard Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell deliver a pointed rebuke
To those Republican colleagues of his
Baselessly as he put it trying to overturn the results of the 2020 election saying that if we do so
This would damage our Republic
Forever
McConnell pointed out
This election wasn't even particularly close the Electoral margins were similar to the election.
Trump won in 2016 and she said if this election were overturned by mere
Allegations by the losing side our democracy would be on a death
Spyro
Senator Schumer also took the floor and attacked
Senators considering not validating the electoral votes
Saying we are a country of laws not men
He also further suggested that McConnell's strong rebuke
Came a little late
Senator Ted Cruz who is apparently taking the lead for the objecting senators
Is asking for a commission to be formed to examine
The voting irregularities as he put it
Before the January 20th date
Various Senators got up
To argue both sides enter Amy Klobuchar repeated the famous phrase often attributed to Ben Franklin
It's a republic
If you can keep it
I'm solo
Lots of heated debate on the floor going to bring in a professor Richard Grifols
Columbia University law school who's been watching along with us and also chabon Hughes
With a congressional reporter
For the Wall Street Journal thanks to both of you for sticking with us
Professor befalls let me start with you what is your reaction to what you've been seeing
On the senate floor so far
So far I think it's been an impressive thoughtful measure debate
I was very impressed McConnell statement
About the nature of the threat to the Republic
I'll be like oh so his point
All that this also is a threat to the Electoral College
Which is something Republicans have been support about the Electoral College
Traditionally at now
About that this would be a challenge to that
And I was also impressed by Senator Toomey State and San Antonio Republican
Who spoke against the challenge
By saying that this would be the beginning of the federalizing
Better Congress is going to start
Quick job rejecting
Fall apart because they still something wrong with the states electoral system
Electoral systems
22
The election laws which is something again the Republicans have tended
I think it's been
Interesting.
Here
I will call them
Current conservative objections
Serta conservative Jackson's to Congress doing this and nachos
Objections based on the actual
Who you want to win.
You make some very good points and Siobhan you made that point earlier as well that one of the dangers here
Four Republicans is weakening the Electoral College
System
And that's one of the reasons that many Republicans think it's
Not okay to just jump on this bandwagon if you will
More about that because
You're right as
As Professor about just mentioned
The idea of the federal government taking away a state's right to certify
Its own electoral votes
Is a fundamentally anti-conservative one correct
That's exactly right because conservatives for years decades have emphasized
States rights have been one of their big defenses and so many of these political arguments
And whereas Pat Toomey put it the federal government
Hispanic
Federalizing elections
That too would undercut a very core tenets of
Conservative policies and approaches
I do want to jump and here to talk about the image your viewers see on the screen with protesters outside the
Capital I currently am 10 blocks away from the capital and
Could hear those sirens
It's going down the street towards the capital
The capital is in lockdown there have been evacuations from the house building
A lot of trump protesters have
Bridge mm Derek has the barriers that have been set up around the capital to preserve order
And there's just a bit of uncertainty right now about what the security situation is on the capitol
Security has increased a lot in recent decades ever since a man named Russell Weston got into the capital and ended up
Shooting two police officers there
So we're in Van much more secure position and we have been at other moments in a hand
American history but Dad said from these pictures that I'm seeing right now and having Bennett's up at the Capitol
I can tell you
I am not accustomed to seeing those crowds that near the Capitol Building at this moment so
A bit of a tenuous situation outside right now
Yeah it does look a definite anywhere there was some earlier video circulating butt showed
Protesters are pushing up against guards there on the capitol steps and it's
It's a little difficult to see from the video we have
Precisely how close those protesters are what sort of barrier
There exists
Definitely a tenuous
A tenuous situation for sure
Can you speak a little bit more to
What
You know senators
Cruise and some of the other Republican Senators who are
Joining
Joining ranks with him to protest
Are suggesting they're suggesting a commission a commission
Created by members of the house and senators and potentially some Supreme Court Justices
Who would then
Do what exactly
What's up this is interesting a Ted Cruz is harkening back
To an earlier disputed election between Rutherford Hayes and Samuel Tilden and in back
Case a couple of Southern States and sent up alternative ballads
Dallas
I Congress solve the problem by setting up this commission with as you say 15 members
They ended up
Picking the president themselves those V
10
That process was so messy that Congress later came back and
Change the laws
Gone
They came up with the Electoral count act to establish up process
For resolving situations when there were
Alternative slice of electors episode attend crude is going back to an earlier period of time that he see
Seems to feel
Should be the model I will say it does ignore some of the subsequent legislative fixes that Congress did
InStep in it to make
In order to preserve the system in which it is really the
Safe to have power that's something that is so important for Congress
Congress field it is imperative that this be in the hands of the states and not federalized in control of Congress
Absol a little bit while you were talking the producers were just letting me know that apparently
President Pence has left the Senate chamber
And they think perhaps for security reasons of the
Press is being locked into the Press room right now so
I'm of course more on this as we get it but hopefully there hasn't been a security breach but it looks as a
That they are certainly at the very least taking precautions
Professor
I want I want to turn to you now
What can you expect will happen now that we've heard these Arguments for the State of Arizona
Are we going to continue to hear the exact same arguments
Play out with all the contestants stay
Canterbury
That's a very good question and I really will depend on what the
The Cruz group is up to cruise is making the point that his objection is really not to Arizona specifically
But it's based on
The fact that there's a lot of public doubt that doesn't out the Trump is fan
The 97's fraction of the public
Doesn't doesn't trust the outcome
So he said he's not really challenging Arizona so much as wanted to have a commission that will
Just resolve all the disputes generally so it's not clear to me whether
There will be senators
The challenge to join members of the House for all
Six of the so-called disputed States
Pennsylvania
So
It probably seems pretty clear for sure that we'll see a challenge
To Pennsylvania
Saturn
Despite yesterday's how we think it's best three selections.
I think she might be challenging Georgia
Not sure about that
But I do think well least here in Pennsylvania
Six of the so-called disputed States but I think
People with respect to Pennsylvania
And then if you were
Gas how long do you think the proceedings
Will last today I mean we've heard some estimates say
They can go on Hino long into the night do you expect that to happen
I do expect that to happen there's a maximum of two hours of debate
For each of the objections we know there will be a minimum of three Arizona
Georgia and Pennsylvania I was also told that the chambers themselves might be cleansed after
Each of the debates
So Dad
It just has a covid protection that adds time and then
The chambers have gone into recess right now that debate is not happening because there has in fact been a security
I can tell you from having been up there
Protesters are not supposed to be on those stairs until that's a further delay that is going to be building
More time into this process and at this point it's very very uncertain
How this is going to wrap up
Yeah I can just say that there have been some tweets that appear to show
Protesters inside the capitol
And apparently the
Building is going into lockdown
Apparently
The senator of
Kamala Harris's office is saying that
The capitals going into lockdown
President-elect is not on Capitol Hill he was on the hill earlier today
So
It is certainly a tenuous situation
Hopefully security has it under control but no doubt it it's got to be a frightening moment for
For lawmakers
Inside I mean Siobhan since your Congressional reporter
What normally happens in situations like this
There are not situations like this let me be perfectly clear I was there during the key passage of the affordable
Portable Care Act and there were certainly protesters outside
Wedding Flags but it was absolutely nowhere near this scale
The capitol Dome you can see it's a large building underground there are all sorts of
Tunnels that are like
Spokes on a wheel Spokane out from the capital and so
Those are evacuation routes people could get out through buildings on the sides of that Dome
All of this little presumes that there aren't a significant number of protesters who have in fact
Entered the building itself
There was a large police
Presence there today but it clearly was not enough to stop this
Normally a couple of stern words when a police officer at a barricade much much further away from the capital Wilson
Stop people from advancing but that advancement clearly did not stop it it it fit progressed and
There's now a I don't want to overstate this or make anybody but
Too concerned however it looks like a seizure
Yeah we are hearing that some house members have been
Taking off the floor either by security or staffers again
You know apologize that the information is rather vague it's just
Coming out in bits and pieces right now
But it does seem to be a very worrisome situation
I'm sort of surprised that there wasn't greater Security in place that there wasn't
Greater preparation for something like this is that surprise you as well Javon
I do know that there was
Preparation there were precautions taken things like lawmakers were told not to wear their pain so that they
They could not be identified as lawmakers and the
Target
Clearly whatever preparation there was was not
Sufficient
You know police
Forces simply did not anticipate
This level of of an onslaught and
You know there have been protests in DC before surrounding the election
The proud boys were here not long ago and while those marches did get unsettling at time
It was nothing like this and so perhaps the security presence had been
Conditioned on that belief to think that whatever protests
There were they would only go
So far and that was clearly a miscalculation
Esteban I just want to point out
To our viewers as well that the president has just tweeted I'm going to read his tweet
He didn't have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our country and our
Giving States a chance to certify a corrected set of facts
Not the fraudulent or inaccurate ones which they were asked to previously certified
USA demands the truth
Trying to flip this argument they were talking about earlier on his head the one of this being about states rights versus
Is the federal government
He's trying to frame it in the opposite like saying that this isn't
States
Recertifying their results I'm not quite sure I do follow his arguments Professor bruh fault
I'm sorry
Do you see where he's going there with his argument about giving States a chance to certify a corrected set of
That confuses me a little bit
But for context I will point out that in seven states that President Trump lost
A group of Republican electors who you know courts themselves had lost they weren't picked
Cachupa
Got together and separated
Kind of
Baker pretend meetings today the electrodes were certifying the results and said
We believe that President Trump did in fact win this election so there are alternative sleep out there
It appears that
President Trump is trying to make a play to get legislators
To step in and
Certified the results
The alternate slate of electors those pro-trump electors
That is significant
Kai's in seven of the states
Where the protractor electors mat
Five of us are in the hands of the GOP so is our
Consent
Argon
Video right now the protest
Yes I can hear you I just wanted to point out the video that were looking at right now is showing the protesters who breached the cow
Capital
Wandering around the kind of almost like Taurus Seno's I'm at their cell phones out taking pictures
They're probably as astonished that they're inside the capital as we are
It seems as if
You know they're just sort of walking up and down in between the ropes
They appear
To be calm but they're not supposed to be there so
It's unclear what their ultimate
No they're not so it's unclear what their objective is
They do seem to be as Amazed by their presence in the capital as we are
Taking out their phones documenting everything
Where are the security guards
There seems to be no security
So does not seem to be any security it's not clear if the security is not there in sufficient number
Or if this is part of a calculated effort to lower the temperature
Focus on getting the lawmakers and Mike
Pence of course the safety tweet that you just mentioned from president
Trump in addition to make your argument also before his inflammatory it puts a Target right on Mike Pence's back
Perhaps the focus now
Is on keeping lawmakers safe instead of on pushing back
These protesters
Right source
Gone
No I was going to say of course this is
Please go ahead
The View that you see that appears to be the second floor of the Capitol building and I'll just
Second floor
It's on the same level as both the house and the Senate chambers and so this does put these protesters
Really right on the same level as the house maker house lawmakers in the Senators they are all in proxy
Cemetery
Potential
The potential risk here for the lawmakers and the elected officials
Let me ask you something can people just walk into the Capitol Building like that there are no scanners to check for weapons how does that work
No people cannot just walk into those buildings and fact right now they can't even walk up to the
Driveway the East wing of the Capitol outside of the Capitol building
Once they get into the building there are scanners you have to dispense with your iPhones
With any phones that you might have your keys
You have to have a special badge and credentials showing me that you in fact have the right to be in that building
They are by no means supposed to be in that building there are signs posted on those stairs below the pro
Protesters saying
The only people he can be on these
Stairs are members of Congress so even I with my credential
Do not have a right to be up there
As I'm watching this I am done by what I'm seeing
It seems that they're marching sort of in an orderly fashion between the dividers
Quit security be doing this to sort of diffuse the situation just have let them in and out to kind of calm things down that would seem too high
Highly irregular but
It almost appears as if that maybe what's happening
I want to be clear that I do not know what is in the heads of security forces but I will say this
I'm having been up there I can tell you that those Security Forces
Are especially trained in how to interact with people
And there is a major effort to defuse tension
To talk people down from any tensions that there might be because this comes up all of the time even
Makers who enter with reporters who enter and it is imperative anyone who has that job
Has to have
Very very good social skills very good people spell scales and that could be a part of what you are seeing and play
Play right now
Let me ask you this are all of these people now trespassing could they all be arrested
I don't know the legalities of whether they could be arrested for
Trespassing I suppose that that is a possibility
They obviously have not been arrested and it appears that that may not be possible because I don't know if there are the forces to
Arrest everybody and what would transpire if that happens
Possibly the safest thing to do would be to get everybody out of the building so that this is no longer even an important place to be
Yeah you know we were not we were not watching the house debate we had our cameras on the Senate
Debate
But apparently according to some of our reporters that were
They're on the house floor I have a note
Saying that Dreamhouse debate there was some chaos and house Speaker Nancy Pelosi was taken out in a row
Recess was called
So
Apparently there were several lawmakers who were escorted off the house floor
Weather for security or not we don't know but it appears probably for security
Where would lawmakers be taken during a breach like this are there internal safe rooms in the capital
There are
Hideaways I'd I don't know that there are infernal safe rooms in the capital the places design
Signs to protect against things like for example a chemical attack the ventilation is very good
But for something like this when there is a target
The protocol has been to leave the capital I don't know if you remember during by think it was an inauguration more than a decade
Okay to go where
A plane penetrated the airspace and everybody was just
App to leave the capital they kind of big kind of ran out so the protocol is not to stay inside when they
There is this type of a thrash
That's not the president
Interesting out I believe that we may also have Professor Kim Whaley with us professor of law
The University of Baltimore and the author of what you need to know about voting and why
Are you with us Professor Whaley
Hello
Professor Whaley are you there
We're doing well thank you so much for joining us like we're keeping a very close eye on what's going on here at the Capitol
We're watching this extraordinary video
A protester to reach the entrance theme
They've gotten inside the Capitol Building there on the steps they're not supposed to be there
Is this an amazing sort of level of Tolerance sort of wondering
Why this is being tolerated in the Capitol and why
You know what we've seen
We seen protesters pushed back before and I'm wondering whether
We're thinking that this is
Such a volatile situation that that security forces maybe just allowing it to play out or
What would you imagine is happening here
Well keep in mind over the summer we did see
Peaceful protesters in front of the White House
Who are you physically bullied by federal law enforcement that was in a public space
Your eyes are not the same in certain space is so if this is sort of a secure
Situation as Siobhan indicated that is in the capital
There is no First Amendment right to barge in that way so it is unusual
Talk to the play the way happened in over the summer and in cities like Portland
When it came to Black lives matter protest I think this is one of those moments in America
In history that hopefully we will never see again we've never seen it before so we have to have I think
A little leeway for law enforcement trying to figure out triage with.
Members of Congress that are potentially at risk
Vice president with a Target on his back in this moment because
The president of the United States has been building up to this
Which his supporters now for weeks encouraging people to come and to protest in this moment so it is a
A bit unusual.
I just have to hope that no one gets hurt because we know that people within the arm
Anti-gun laws but but of course not everyone has to be checked
Cross the border from Virginia or Maryland into Washington DC
I was asking about scanner 4th obviously if they're entering the capitol illegally they're not.
Are backpacks through the scanners but that is a big concern whether or not any of these protesters are armed of course
Capital given
Notice saying please move inside your office to the nearest office take Emergency Equipment and visitors clothes lock and stay
Away from external doors and windows
If you are in a public space find a place to hide or seek cover remain quiet and silence electronic
Once you are in a safe location immediately check in with your oec
No one will be permitted to enter or exit the business until
Directed by uscp if you are in a building outside of the affected area remain clear of police Act
Tivity and finally await further Direction
Certainly
Dino sounds rather ominous I'm sure the situation under control
I have
The boots-on-the-ground choose a military metaphor in this moment
To manage this crowd I mean they're only a certain number of actual
Federal law enforcement
Deputize
Members of the Bureau of Prisons
Prison guards ice
Agents and things like that to take to take action in the context of the backlight
And the number 3
The United States military which in this moment answers to the president I think it's quite interesting
Or perhaps disturbing maybe that over the weekend we saw 10 former secretaries of
Defense
Basically
The military should not be brought into what to deal with elections but
I think what troubles me is that
That there wasn't a Provisions put in place anticipating this because this is not a surprise this is been
Something that has been coming from the bully pulpit now for weeks if not four months or you could argue from
Donald Trump's 2016 Stone space there's been a violent rhetoric
From day one
Historically that is one of the pages out of authoritarian playbooks and we're seeing
In This Moment
For American democracy itself will we
Government or not
Well I do want to point out that you know Donald Trump
On Twitter feed is sending very confusing messages because
You know about an hour ago he tweeted pictures of the protesters outside
You know any sort of celebratory Manor then about a minute ago he posted a tweet saying
Please support our Capitol Police and law enforcement they are truly on the side of our country
Stay peaceful
Some would say that's coming a little late but maybe the message of being peaceful should have been driven home a little early
Earlier but at least somewhat helpful
Yeah I mean just like we saw it with Mitch McConnell speech calling for rallying around American tomorrow
We talked many times over the years some of us have been worried about this moment
Go to chinks in the armor on American and month after month after month and then we're building
To this moment
Republicans including Mitch McConnell have sat idly by and let it happen and now some of them are stepping up to the plate and I hope
Hope it's not too late
Clear Joe Biden will be sworn in on January 20th with the amount of anger and misinformed
Nation in this moment I think is going to follow him into his presidency and we can only hope
That the Damage Done to the guardrails of democracy won't be taken advantage of
Fire future person who really doesn't want to see democracy survives someone like
Eno
Over 250
This is bad news for American democracy in every American needs to hold hands
Democrats Republicans in this moment
And and really pray and hope for the survival of American democracy except I have confidence we will get there
But I think this is this is something doesn't wake up call for people that this division has to end we have to go back to fax
Science and integrity in government
These images are pretty stunning there is no doubt in a contributor Molly Hooper
Joins me now as well Molly you've been covering Congress for a long
Long time
What is your reaction to these images that were saying right now
It's astonishment I just can't believe it part of me wants to be like up in the middle of it
The other part of me knows that you know what's been going on up on the capitol ever since the pandemic
Is that you essentially
The Capitol building has been shut off to visitors so
Law enforcement has been operating at a much reduced level obviously today was a very important day but
Still they were not expecting a lot of people in the building
And and what's really would really remarkable is seeing so many people allowed to and I don't want to say
Storm the building cuz I don't know how they got in
But you don't just just the images that we saw earlier with
Protesters walking through Statuary Hall I think I sent out a tweet to the effect I haven't seen that much
Many people congregated in Statuary Hall since
Before the pandemic
So there's a couple things going on up there but
Really right now what's happening is that members are are trying to get to safety I heard that you read
Instructions said that members offices things have been receiving
Really it just looks to me like
A lot of cats up on the hill and
Especially it is especially Market because
We are operating under these pandemic restrictions which again does impact the amount of law enforcement that is up on
On the hill and the ability to get more members of the law enforcement out there
Right at at can you speak
Security exists within the Capitol Building when there is a breach or when there is sort of a known Danger
In the building what is the protocol exactly because Xenon fortunately we do live in a world where
Are there are mass shootings that's not an unknown current so there must be some protocol
In place it is something like that were to happen at the Capitol do you happen to know what it is
Well normally in situations where the Capitol Police are aware that there's going to be sore
A big protest I take
The Brett Kavanaugh hearings for example
What you know shortly after Brett Kavanaugh
Add that the allegations of sexual assault in the head come out
A lot of protesters had started coming into the capital of Seoul enforcement really needed to beef up and they did and they would
Shut off hallways they would limit they would limit the individual's ability to get into the
Hearing room
And they would even limit the presses ability to move around
And again there are a lot of law-enforcement people at that time because they didn't have to worry about social distancing
And masking and and whatnot and again
You just have to remember the times that we are in now there hasn't been as much activity up on Capitol Hill
Even even when the protesters that we had the peaceful protesters over the summer
Were you don't coming up to the Capitol
Yes law enforcement in FIFA
But I don't think they anticipated
The scene that we are seeing unfolding
Unfolding now
And normally the doors
Are pretty much walk there's a lot of different ways to get into the capitol
But those those entrances for the most part our
Are locked
Or
They are guarded by
Several security people you have to go through mags met you you have to go through
The security systems yet have your bags scanned to go into any building when you go up on Capitol Hill
And they're each
Door is
Is monitored and controlled by several Capitol Police people
But if you're having
This looks like hundreds of people trying to get into one location I don't see how
3 Capitol Police security people
Can effectively
Stop that I mean
We saw the stanchions
District sample in Statuary Hall that picture earlier where we saw several
We're sorry about I don't know
A steady flow of maybe two columns of people walking through a largely empty room between these ropes.
Stanchions
I mean
For the most part that's what
The Capitol Police were letting you know we're using to blockade reporters
From getting to the Senators walking over from the Senate to get to the Joint session
It again because there are not any visitors allowed in the capital these days
Did the protocol is a lot
Different because
Members of the regular of the public are not
Entering the building so again that means that there are fewer doors that are allowed to be there open Eve
Even to enter and exit the building
XO so I'm
I'm going to be interested to see how long these individuals were able to
Tepito
Get into the building
But I did the buildings because once you're in the building today on the house side or the Senate side the office
Spaces
You can access the capital by Going Underground
So
So again there's a there's different access points to the Capitol but
In the past there have been shootings inside the capitol back in 1998
An armed man came through
What are the entrances on the East front of the capitol
And Dr Tom delays officer shot
And killed two
To Capitol Police people
Before he was subdued
Yes
So
Molly I want to bring an LCD of news reporter Christina ruffini she is there you are at the Capitol correct Christina
The latest you can
Is it we are hearing reports of a gun
Potentially having been shot is there anything more you can tell us
I will get the capital shortly we've been trying to make her way across the city spell happened relatively quickly I'm inside the capitol
What we're hearing
As we came across the city and we were basically following behind emergency vehicles you can hear sirens coming from off lodging to the city
Converging on Capitol Hill now as we pulled up to the south side of the capitol
We saw a lot of trump supporters are in trump tower with flags
Just behind me
Sorry nothing emergency alert on my phone and it just went through announcing that DC is going into a 6 p.m. curfew
So what you're saying is you're seeing a lot of trump supporters
But it's fairly. kind of casually walking which be a lot of rolled up American flag
But again we're not quite at the Capitol yet and all the law enforcement card at work
Being are heading in that direction
Alright well Christina thank you so much and I'm sure going to check in with you a little bit later now
We're going to take you over now to CVS
News Network they are going to be doing a special report on this
With Norah O'Donnell let's listen in
But threatening minority for moving into the capitol
Quite clearly ignoring
These suggestions and the orders from Capitol Police and other authorities
Reaching barriers going up steps crashing through doors or attempting to do that
That is an act of violence
Pure and simple
And it is separate from those who are assembling peaceably to express their displeasure
But it must be noted
But this is Americans trying to take control and lay under siege the capitol
Are the United States government
And that is a fact
And you cannot separate their motives and their actions
From the rhetoric of the president
He can talk about respecting Capitol Police now but that's not what he was saying this morning
Alright let's go to Nancy Cordes now is new information she's our chief Congressional correspondent Nancy
Norway now hearing from reporters who are inside the Senate chamber at the protest
Doctors have breached the Senate chamber itself so they're no longer just inside the US Capitol there actually inside
The Senate chamber which as you were called was Winter recess a few minutes ago when all of the
This started and according to at least one reporter inside the Chamber of protestors actually
Lined up on the dais and is channel chanting slogans in favour of President Trump
What we don't know is whether senators of reporters who are inside the chamber right now
Are being escorted out being someplace else to go to stay safe and texted
Senator a few minutes ago to ask but where are you what are you being told to do in order
Where to stay safe and he responded I can't tell you anything because obviously this is such a tense situation
Lawmakers are being told not to give any information about where they're being taken and and
The measures that are being taken to keep them safe so it's a very fluid situation and if one of them
Which frankly a lot of reporters and lawmakers are fat
Are finding themselves thrown together in the same office spaces and internally within the same
Senate chamber to to try to to huddle in place together because
They're just only so many places that you can go and the US Capitol and lock the door to to keep
Yourself separated from whoever else is outside our Zack Hudak is inside
The Senate chamber and thank you he's inside the house
Chamber where
Protesters have breached
The doors there
Where that joint session of Congress was being held earlier we're trying to get Zack on the phone but you can
Imagine that it is a tense situation earlier
That's a big bang
Unclear what that sound is
Weather weather and says yes
One of the questions
We have
At this hour is where is
The National Guard
Which is deployed by governors
Husband
Play the Maryland Princeton stop with vaccine distribution is help during Hurricane
In this instance in the District of Columbia
Are the secretary of the army plays the role there and the question is when the National Guard will be arriving to help
With this
Situation
Ed O'Keefe and reclaim these building so they can exist as they ordinarily
This is extraordinary this is completely out of ordinary these buildings
Need to be reoccupied
And secured right
So Congress can conduct the business of the American government bright we can convey again
Senators have been evacuated
From the chamber and they are being moved
Location Untold
They will be bused so it could be that they're removing them off of the Capitol complex
Now who says they cannot tell us where because of security but will inform us
And we can see here again this is the West front of the Capitol spaces the National Mall where the inauguration happens
Does guys and yellow up at the top of the ones that are law enforcement beginning to clear
What is supposed to be the inaugural stand and try to Defuse The Situation
And a little bit and get a little bit of breathing space for the
Majestic Capitol building
So we can
Begin the process
Of reclaiming
Its own territory claiming its own order of business inside the capitol getting in Statuary Hall we should
While ago you said the people walking through with the statues around it
The old house chamber
There were cameras in there showing them images C-SPAN says the Capitol Police has told them to vacate that area
And someone had unplugged there cameras in Statuary Hall unclear that was law enforcement of the protesters
But we know that there is a
Tense situation inside the capitol
In the area of the house chamber
And
And we're working out of sitting at more information Chief political correspondent John Dickerson notes that these protesters are now
On the inaugural steps were President Trump four years ago gave a speech about American
Carnage
And said he would give the government back to the people that this as he described it in that inauguration address
This grouping in Washington Republicans and Democrats and lobbyists
Who had deprived Americans of their economic
Wherewithal that would end
And that was a resident language for these protesters
But we've gone far beyond rhetoric we have gone to incitement we're going to occupation who gone to a place
I think it's fair to say
Astonishment
These are images we never expected to see in our great country
A cleavage a ripping apart of the sense of what government is
What it's meant to accomplish
And how it is sanctified
In every presidential election
I like what is now being torn apart
Before our very eyes or there's an attempt
To tear it apart before our very eyes
Also notably up in Wilmington Delaware the president-elect of item was scheduled to speak and he's actually at the location where he
Is scheduled to speak but is not yet
Spokane I asked for the vice president elect Kamala Harris
Transition officials won't comment on her exact location but the president-elect is safe one of them tells our Tim.
Who follows her she was in the ER today for Senate intelligence committee briefing but was
Not planning to attend
The Electoral College ceremonies that were
Schedule who is on Capitol Hill and Nancy are there in
Ordinarily disturbing images of after viewing them I would describe now
Mob fighting with law enforcement
Right underneath the capitol rotunda what are you saying in hearing
We're getting some really good if I witness information from our colleague Ray Seger's who was at
Actually inside the Senate chamber covering the debate when all of this happened she said that she
She has been evacuated with the senators from the chambers that they're going to another building on foot
And that there's a huge security presence she says authorities first evacuated the Senators and then say
Said that the press to go to and they took the elevators down from the Senate Gallery in order
To avoid protesters one thing if you've covered the US Capitol of time is it there
Our huge number of a fax back hallways and
Elevators in different ways to get in and out of these building so it appears that that is
US Capitol Police who did escorting Senators out of the Senate chamber in order to keep them safe
I have been texting with one of those senators and asked are you and everyone around you safe
And uninjured and he responded Yes he said Capitol Police first secure the Senate when the capitol was preached
And then evacuated us elsewhere he says as far as he knows everyone around him is
Safe right now but Keith I can't tell me where he is now because he's been
Instructed not to share his location for obvious security reasons
Nancy what's happening now at the diocese in the house chamber
The reporting from our as accu-tac who's been in the house chain
Chamber is that lawmakers were told to get under their desks and to look for masks that had been placed
There a gas masks because there was a possibility of tear gas
Being released so we're seeing these and you know these These are the safety precautions that have been put in
Place that most people never assume would actually have to be used they are being used
Today and it'll just give you a sense Nora of the confusion that has rained here the house
Chamber has gone in and out of session multiple times you know that they've been debating and then
The capitol was breached and they they they went into recess but then they started up again but then the
Watching these proceedings unfold you can get a sense of the escalation of tension
Within the house chamber and while US Capitol Police are incredibly well-trained other simply
M2
To beat back a crowd that is intent on getting through I think you showed some video a few minutes ago
What look like protesters getting inside the building by basically breaking
The security glass on a door that was leading into the capitol Visitor Center
425 doors the fact that they were able to break that glow
And apparently get in this is really astounding these doors
We're not built all that long ago
All right I want to show you now this is the East front of the Capitol which is across from the
The Supreme Court on the west front of the Capitol he's where the inaugural stage is
Two weeks from now for the inauguration
President Joe Biden and vice president Kamala Harris
This is where you see a number of protesters as well as police there and what appears to be
People Milling about and standing about there
What is a deep concern is what's happening inside the United States Capitol right now it's what we noted on the Senate
4 in the house floor and of course the number of lawmakers and the DC capitol police who are concerned about their own safety
The president of the United States was tweeting about the courage of the vice president today
At this hour we not heard from the vice-president who we don't know where he is at this hour he
An undisclosed location
And there are calls even from the president's own former White House communications director
Alyssa Farah to condemn this violence saying realdonaldtrump you are the only one they will listen to
For our country
Once again a question about the leadership
Of this country
And
The vacuum
That exist at this moment
The vacuum
Presided by the president of the United States I've had texts from several Republicans I imagined perhaps you have
As well as
Amplifying
Prosperity
The president issue a tweet
Put a video up very quickly
Saying get out of the Capitol peaceably assemble and stop this violence nothing from
The president nothing except that anodyne
Reference to
Let's support our Capitol Police that's not sufficient
You set this in motion you must stop it but the other
Underline
An alarming reality of that
Is the idea
Set the president
Can directionally influence this
Mob that is breech the capital
And that underscores something that is alarming about the scenario
But they are so devoted to him they will do things of this nature which we should underscore this kind of Acts
Breaking glass coming into the capitol commencing Capitol Police is a crime
They've committed crimes and they should be prosecuted
And what's the capital of secure that process will begin
But the present is now being asked by those who served him Faithfully
To bring this to an end
Be a Twitter
Via Twitter video something fill this vacuum that you have created that is created so much disturbance
An unrest in our nation's got a senior aide to the president elect
Joe Biden tells me quote he's going to speak to the events at the Capitol
I asked when he said soon he is scheduled he was already scheduled to speak this afternoon
Premiere Theater in downtown Wilmington Delaware by 90 minutes for Washington
Now they're changing the plans and he will speak to what's going on
Right now the capital n
We have to keep in mind
They're going to have to finish
This proceeding of
The House and Senate at some point
There is no
Nothing in the law as written
Hey that outlines this outlines
When you can take breaks for that matter you can go into recess right but
Currently right now so much for last four years
Has been within the confines of the rules and laws
Much of the pressure points have been this is literally not because
At some point they got to come back and finish this
Play going to have to do it in some kind of
Decorous way for lease
An organized way
And
And it's just incredible to think they might have to come back and do that later tonight with the capitol under incredible security protection
Advice just buy
Excellent executive producer J Schaller they can a recess until 10 a.m. tomorrow we can be
Well maybe wear this head however
I can imagine some lawmakers would say no we're going to clear this
We're going to get this straightened out and we're going to go back to work
Because we're not going to withdraw for an entire day and night
I can imagine a very Lively conversation going on wherever they're able to have a conversation however they're able to have it
What time is the two tional
Lions in the Senate and lionesses will say in the house no we're going to go back to work
We're going to set this right and we're going to go back to work I can imagine that debate going on
However it plays out
That they can recess but I can imagine a very strong impulse
Then both bodies
To get back to work making you keep anticipating things that are happening
Migraciones a passes on she's our producer who is
In and around where senators are currently being held she reports we've been told that the Senate
Wherever they are right now and it's just extraordinary to have to say things like this
Is doing a roll call
Only one reporter is allowed in the room right now it is not a representative of the television pool but again the Senate is doing it
Play some kind of a formal attendance taking to see who's there they could meet as a body
Wherever they are if they have a quorum which it appears they might this virtual world influence so much
My pandemic protocols these things have been learned and so they met in a very strange and unexpected
Provide a means by which a corn can be assembled and they can get back to work
Political correspondent in 6 minutes correspondent John Dickerson about that very matter that the Senators who have objected
And the house members who have ejected
2A what is normally a very quick
Counting the electoral votes in years past has been done in 10 or 20 minutes
They could stop their ejecting abducting rather and move this on very quickly and thus
Nothing there for anybody to protest this is done
Right they could also go on
Twitter and say
All objections
Will be withdrawn unless you leave the capitol
If you occupy the capital we will no longer go forward with this you cannot negotiate with the Congo
By occupying it you simply cannot
And that is something they could also do Ted Cruz could do that
Josh Hawley could do that well and didn't think we could do that
On the phone Zach tells what you're saying
They just evacuated
Stand members
Besides
Around me
Exactus is Major Garrett North stepped away for just a second to let me engage you if I could for just a moment
What are you doing and seeing as you are right now and we're a few can I know that you are
Are under some
Requirements not to be too specific but you can give a general sense of which where you are and what's happening immediately around you
Feel in danger in any sense
Seguin
Send.
Stuttgart
Literal
Take us back to what was going on
In the house chamber itself there are conflicting reports about
Whether guns were drawn and used or whether there were other barricades put in place to keep people out what can you tell us haven't been
Been in the room
I can tell you that
There were two of them
From
By whom
Wallbang
And
Assassinated
And from your Vantage Point Jack in the house chamber did you see anyone injured
Or hurting it away
And there was still members
In the in the
Chamber when this happened correct
Members of Congress
George Strait
Shortly after
Earlier in the proceedings was the Speaker of the House still providing
And was she escorted out first
Alright I believe so but
Gallery I couldn't
I believe the first one to be taken out was
The members who had objected the some hundred numbers they did not want to stay inside the house chamber
They did not in fact as we went into lockdown one-man it was sitting up on the other side of the gallery
Down
Yelling for that
All the presidents
There were certainly
William Branham
Zach standby we have some new reporting right now
We have been told by a senior source that
Bowser has requested an additional 200 National Guard troops
But that request is under review
By the Pentagon it has not been denied
What is under review at this hour as it's clear
But the marabissi who has imposed a 6 p.m. curfew
Is requesting additional
Federal assistance
From the National Guard at this point normally a governor would just call in the National Guard but in the District of Columbia
Secretary of the army
Serves as the governor
So to our conversation moments ago about what will be the voice of those who are objecting
And 1/2
Use Congress to superimpose itself
On the will of the states as expressed through the Electoral College
One has spoken via Twitter
Ron Johnson republican from Wisconsin I'll read it directly
The Capitol Police have acted with Incredible professionalism
I sincerely thank them for their service
And condemn all Lawless
Activity in Marco Rubio
Slowly
It is moving in a direction that it's moving in
To describe this as what it is
Wallace criminal activity by a few to reach the capital and attempt to occupy it in order to
Slow down this process
And it's similar tweet there is nothing patriotic
About what is occurring on Capitol Hill he tweeted
This is third world-style anti-American Anarchy
And he's not wrong he is correct and this needs to be said
Buy more
With greater volume and more regularity
This is a moment
This is a bright shining moment for every Republican every Democrat but especially those Republicans
Booba Sociedad themselves
In word and In Deed with this effort to challenge the election and challenge
The Congress is counting of the electoral votes
Want to bring in John Dickerson now who joined us on the phone
And John for those who say that this moment is unimaginable
That this couldn't happen
Does that ring true to you
Well there were plenty of people who could imagine it on Election night when the president
Jessica selection been stolen and then day by day by day
We saw the power the president had over his supporters
So powerful with cows many in his own party
And that there are millions of people who believe this in so many people see a direct line from the presents
Remarks after they let me heal after the election to what's happening now
Danny American System the president is the one who is supposed to
Cool the Passions
The people
That has been completely turned on its head and just to pick up on Majors point
This stage is set
For someone to walk on
And behave in the way that's in the best American tradition to cool the patch
To act as the adult in this process it might be one person it might be a whole score of people
But that's the next big chapter
And the question is who walked into that
No that is waiting for them
And a pickup on John's point
Could this be anticipated
Well
On CBS This Morning about a month ago I quoted Winston Churchill who said The Following
You cannot reason with a tiger when your head is in its mouth
Republicans have put the head their head in the mouth of Donald Trump the president night States
For six weeks
Hoping that this wouldn't come
But on social media as recently as 48 hours ago you could see people saying I'm attending this
I'm looking for ways into the capital
I figured out corridors etc etc
This was sad to say
Theoretically imaginable that it is actually playing out is the thing that shocks is so much
But we never thought it would actually come to this
But it is consistent
What's rhetoric set in motion by the president and not manifestly rejected at
The beginning
By Republicans who were in the place
To do so
And John who still with us the rhetoric of the president to
In terms of
Inciting and keeping these Embers
Of angst
Burning has now it rocked it in the United States capitol
What culpability do some of the lawmakers have
Who also
Objected to that rocket major has something going to say
One minute ago
Quote I'm asking everyone at the US Capitol to remain peaceful. No violence!
Remember we all in capitals we
Are the party of Law & Order
Respect the law and our great men and women in blue thank you
And now the president trying to
Real back in a mob that has been Unleashed
Trying to do what he should have
Done
Moments ago
Hours ago
Perhaps weeks ago
When you said Nora about I can't remember an hour and a half ago
The president tweeted it's going to be a wild one
What do you think that means how do you think that's interpreted by the people who are on
The capitol steps a wild one
That's suggesting to them that wildness is encouraged
By the most powerful person in America the president of the United States and so John when you incited by advice
Suggesting weeks ago that it's going to be a wild one can you just tweet it away can you just
Put all the stuff back in the bottle and expected to disappear
You know you can't do that any more than you could during the rally
15 and 2016 when the president
I would encourage his supporters to
To take care of by physical Force
Those who showed up at his rallies and protests
This isn't just happening today this is a long history of consistent Behavior by the president
And so this is
Comes in it as as the last ugly sentence in a long series of chapters
Time between the president and this kind of behavior this is just the ugliest manifestation of it
And how many of these supporters are looking at the president's Twitter feed and following it
Loyal a is if his if when he said
You know in the protest that all of a sudden they would remove themselves from inside the capitol
Well I'll let John answer that person then I'll take a swing after he does
Well I would just say end and major knows this in his bones because he spent so much time talking to the man has been
The people to whom this is the greatest defense are those people
Who who feel alienated from their country and who might have voted for Donald Trump
And who
You know I wanted to see a different outcome in the election
And they are the ones who
Scorpion up as march by
This and body incitement
And end so that I think
You know you all have been quite careful to point out that the ones who are
Store breaking the glass and banging on the doors are a very small minority
And and they are now to finding
Large number of people
I'm getting this now from a high-ranking member of the sergeant of arms office
Who was outside
Todd said
He was tear-gassed
I said he's never seen anything like this and we are fully losing the battle
They breach the West Front
And they just took
The East Front
We witnessed that
But I read it again out loud because there it is
Teargas in the question about
Chris first
Spotted we thought that feeds the police and authorities were using it against the protesters it appears
It might have been used
Against our law enforcement chemical irritants used by
Some of the protesters
To push back
Or to repeal
Capitol Police or those with a sergeant of arms office which is part of the governing body of the House of Representatives
There's a separate coronavirus United States Senate
The pickup on John's pointed answer your question directly Nora
There's a very very tight feedback loop between the president's supporters and what the President says higher than any I've ever seen in American politics
They do Vector off what he says closely and almost by the minute
And in this scenario
What the president just tweeted I will
I do believe we'll have a pacifying effect
I'm just telling you and the nation it's too late
I just cannot underscore
The tension that exists in many parts of the United States capital right now
You're likely feeling it at home by what you're saying and the Deep concerns among those in positions of authority
To make sure we get this right and that the situation does not escalate
I reported just a short time ago that based on a source in a defense official
But there has been a request by the mayor of DC for 200
Additional
National Guardsmen
And it is currently under review no decision has been made
The concern of course is about any future confrontation
Can that's just quickly deescalate without an image what appeared to be while their National Guard what's
Some people may look
Instinct is active-duty but that sort of image within create not only
Domestically
But certainly by a foreign adversaries and so the people in positions of great power
That control the levers of National Security are weighing this with the utmost seriousness
You now have Senator Ted Cruz who helped unleash some of this and fuel some of this anger now also Twee
Eating out
Calm down time to end this
It has been pointed out the question is whether these senators
And others
To hold the levers of power want to create just a step forward and move this towards an end
And I think the leadership as you mentioned the vacuum that exists
Did Senator McConnell tried to exert earlier today
Is one that people are watching steps
We will stop this unless you get out of the capital this is no way to conduct our business they could do that
I wait to see what their actual response
Will be put to your pointe-noire and it is so important
All sorts of institutional reasons for historic reasons
For image reasons the Capitol Police
Would like to be in the position to take back the situation on its own
And not ask for the National Guard
To come on to the Capitol grounds
Essentially repel
These protesters will breach the capital now the capital police would like to be able to do that
And exert its own authority but they may be
Holy outnumbered and incapable of doing that
Just a quick. Date from the DC fire department we are hearing that they have responded and transported least two to three people
With injuries
And that they are now looking into reports of shots fired
At the Capitol
Now
But bringing Nancy Cordes who is still on Capitol Hill Nancy
Ignore the House minority leader Republican Kevin McCarthy confirm just a few minutes ago that shots have been fired
Inside
The Capitol Building he didn't say by whom it's not clear whether he knows by whom but
Multiple reporters have said that they've seen at least one
Person being carried out of the capital on a stretcher
Covered in what appeared to be blood
So you know we don't know if that was a protester or a police officer obviously this is
A completely fluid event and take a look at this this is the Crypt of the US Capitol
What you're looking at is essentially hand to hand combat
Between Capitol police officers and these protesters who appear to be trying to storm that
Area of the capital as police officers try to keep them back
Battery is called the Crypt because was originally designed
To be the final resting place for George Washington
Before he decided that actually he would rather be laid to rest at his beloved
Mount Vernon but is an area on the first floor of the Capitol I'm just speculating here but it's likely
The police were trying to keep the protesters out of this area because there are spaces
In the bowels of the capital where lawmakers can be taken to be kept safe and
Police probably didn't want these protesters getting any closer to the basement of the Capitol than the
Already work
Nancy photos from inside the house chamber
The as you were speaking their case anyone's
Curious about where exactly that was take those Authority
Chamber itself there are members this was taken earlier
One of our colleagues reports from somebody that was in that chamber and crispy talk to text me back earlier that among other things no prep
Chester got inside the house chamber
During this traumatic altercation but a 1-point the house chaplain
Went to the podium and offer to prayer
Saying pray for the safety of all including the Capitol Police and it all can work together
For our country just a dramatic day
Inside the capital state of the union
Ways our institutions come together
Once a year for the State of Union they do throat doosan the people's house
House of Representatives Noir you know it edu notice most beautiful building in the capitol or the great pleasures of walking around cap
Capitol Hill missing people have deep disagreements
Geographic philosophical and otherwise working together working alongside one another and trying to resolve differences in the
The true Spirit of the American Republic and all of that
Is being jeopardized
Here now
On this day
By people who wear hats that say make America great again I ask them to answer the question
Is this American greatness
It is not
I think it's a moment now to be reflected to and talk about the historical significance of this let's bring in
Jeff Rosen and Jeff as a constitutional law expert
What did the framers what were they most
Concerned about
Framer Central concern
When they drafted the constitution in 1787
What is mob violence
Madison said in Federalist 55
In all large assemblies passion never fails to wrest the scepter from reason even if every Athenian have
Socrates Athens would still have been a mob
The framers are concerned about
Farmers in Western Massachusetts mobbing the courthouses cuz they don't want to pay their debts
Abner Central goal
In drafting the Constitution and creating the Electoral College
Was to deny Congress any direct role in electing the president
That was why they created an electoral college because they were afraid that if Congress electing the president the president would be
In
The thrall of factions and of mobs
So the conduct of the president
And the conduct of some Congress people in abrogating
Powers that the framers tried to deny them has resulted in the framers greatest
Nightmare
And the remedy then
That the framers
Instituted to make sure or at least to try and prevent
Such mob violence was what Jeff
It was
Filters
Cooling mechanisms intermediate bodies
To prevent populous passions from ruling they wanted to slow down deliberation
So that people couldn't
Demand that their factional or partisan interests are creative
And that was the point of the Electoral College a group
August wise men that were all men then who were supposed to Cooley deliberate
And choose the best candidates without any attention to the views of the mob or
The people
Even after the election of 1800 in the 12th Amendment
The Constitution made clear
That it's the Electoral College that chooses the president and congress's role is purely ministerial it's just supposed to count
The boats
That's why Senator Toomey
Was correct
Before Congress was forced to disband today when he said that the constitution gives Congress no role
When making substantiv determination
About who won the presidency
When there is no genuine dispute
About which balance the state has limited
We are weakened what we have sown I cannot overestimate
How dangerous it is to depart
When the framers intended system but they were Visionaries even though they didn't know about Twitter
They didn't know about mobs
And they knew about demagogues
Who would inflame the passions of the people in try to mobilize them to thwart the rule of law
On Which democracy depends and they created the Constitution
To avoid that
And that is why we must
Return
To our constitutional
Procedures
Congress must reconvene and
Perform is purely ministerial and ceremonial role in certifying result of an election which is
Already occurred
And the president
Alaska must be recognized
As the next president of the United States
And Jeff Rosen you have a few and put this so beautifully and so eloquently as president of the national Constitution Center and ask
Dollar of course of the Constitution
Until I wonder because this is exactly
Will you put a lot better than Tom Cotton did and it's not bad
But I wonder then what risk those like Ted Cruz and others who supported this effort have done to Eva
Do there
They are also quote on quote
Constitutional experts
How how
Damaging has their interpretation of
What the process could be today done too
Our democracy
The damage has been intelligible
The national Constitution Center is non-partisan who was created by Congress
To increase awareness of the Constitution on a nonpartisan basis
I am only allowed to summarize the consensus
A liberal and conservative Scholars
Ranging from Michael Ludacris vice president Pence quoted today
To Progressive Scholars
That Congress is not supposed to play a substantive role in second-guessing
No valid
Decisions of the Electoral College
Senator Cruz Senator Hawley
Former Supreme Court clerks for playing with fire
When pandering to popular Passions
And the desire to court
Partisan favor they departed from the system that the constitution set out
And they will have to be accountable to their consciences
And to the Constitution of the United States
Jefferson stay with us one of bringing Gracie girls who has been there witnessing this on Capitol Hill will not say
To protect her own safety but Grace tell us what you've been witnessing
Hi Nora yes so it's been pretty chaotic
We are now in a safe location along with all of the Senators
Things have been really scary I will say it was pretty terrifying when the Senate suddenly went into
And all of the doors in the chamber where lockdown the reporters were locked down in the chamber with the Sun
Senators
And we really didn't know what was going on
About after about half-an-hour of that we were escorted from the chamber
And evacuated to a safe location and now we're kind of in a holding pattern
But I've never seen anything like this
And Grace
Talk about any violence that you saw
So I didn't see any violence but I heard protesters when we were
Evacuating at we were also told not to take the stairs because there were
Demonstrators on the stairs so we took elevators which normally would not happen in a crisis
And we are hearing from the police off
Give me from the police officers that are still is a lot of violence
I've seen police officers walked by with riot gear
It's just
Unclear what the situation is right now
Okay want to bring in thank you so much grace stay stay safe
I want to quickly bring in Kevin McCarthy the house with Menorah T leader
Leader McCarthy
Do you condemn this violence
I completely condemn
The violence in the capital
Fuller currently watching unfold is unamericans
I am
I'm disappointed I'm sad
Which is not what a country should look like this is not who we are this is not the first amendment this has to stop
Stop now
Have you spoken with the president and ask him
Perhaps come to the capital until the supporters it's time to leave
I spoken to the president I asked him to talk to the nation to tell him to stop
This Is Not Who We Are
We Are The Beacon of Freedom we showed democracy how we should act
We show the rest of the world and this is not it
I don't know who in the crowd is doing this and others
Goodvac this is got to stop this is unacceptable
But the Capitol Police have had to do
The danger that is put other people in the people of being hurt
I just I can't believe and I'm so glad you brought our Capitol Police should not have to deal with this and I know you care about them
Deeply you said you spoke with the president what did the president say he would do
I know he had put a tweet out there I totally need to talk to the nation
I told him what was happening right then
I mean
From what I watched in the capital for the way you had to move within the capital
The brush that had to come in the windows that would bring broken
As a nation everybody in this nation has got to take a deep breath and understand
We're all Americans
We can disagree but we do not do this
This Is Not Who We Are
This is deep do you think there is responsive
I hate to ask you this but who do you think there is responsibility for this for inciting this mob
You know what I think there's a combination
Anyone who's ever incited anyone who encouraged this
We can encourage the disagree we can be passionate about our beliefs
But this is not where we go
This is not the best
This is not the best of Who We Are
Then you think that it was just organic that this protest just happened on its own
No not if you if you watch
Some of the people if you watch some of the things I watch this capital
There are people inside here that have plans are people taking advantage of people that get an overemotional
There are people that want to make America look like this
I don't
All I know is a capitol police should not have to be doing
The number of capital police we have I can't thank them enough
Protecting the number of members the number of staffers
You know in that building there's a lot of young people
That is the people's houses
What should have happened was
The American public should be able to
Watch the debate an honest open debate
Not what's going on right now
The president invited tens of thousands of people
Decoding quote stop the Steal
I don't know if you heard his more than hour-long remarks or the remarks of his son
Who was the wind up
It was some heated stuff
Leader McCarthy
I just wonder whether someone is going to accurately call
A spade a spade
I'm giving you the opportunity right now
It's your precious
And beloved United States capitol
And our democracy is witnessing this
Call the spade a spade
I was very clear with the president when I called them
This has to stop and he has to
He's got to go to the American public and tell them to stop this
This is not who we are this is not who his supporters are
This is more than Paulette
This is the foundation of his Nation this is the Democracy that we are supposed to be the torch for the rest of the world
This is not
The View should see and nobody should encourage it
And nobody should be a part of it
And so to the leaders who believe that this election was stolen
And that opposed the count of the Electoral College including yourself
Why aren't you all run from the capital
Why not stay there and meet these
These people who believe the same way that you do why not
I can't tell you where we are and for added safety for everybody else
But the one thing I will tell you if people can have a disagreement we disagree everyday when it comes to politics
People can have that not this nobody supports this
Nobody encourages this
Nobody want this I want to be very clear
I condemn any of this activity this is not anything I support
This is not anything that I would be a part of this is got to stop
Why I just wonder are there members of the leadership headed to the White House to try and move this process where where
We're at that point
As you know leader McCarthy were at that point for this is not only something that the tears down at the fabric
Democracy
Will be used by our foreign
Adversaries
You say you wanted to stop what are you going to do now to make it stop
I'm meeting with the other leaders
Talking to the president
I want to first and foremost make sure the security of our Capital Thief
And the people are in the capitol
Let's get this out-of-control let's get them out of the capital out of the chambers
Let's make sure people are safe
And this can never happen again
Leader McCarthy the president knighted states has a briefing room steps
From the Oval Office it is the cameras are hot 24/7 as you know
Why hasn't he walked down and said that now
I conveyed to the present what I think is best to do
And I'm hopeful the president with you
And you spoken with his chief of staff
I spoken to the president I spoken to other people in their answer the White House as well
You don't think he's sitting and maybe taking some Delight watching this
I don't I don't know of any American that takes Delight in this
Assume that about anybody I can't believe someone would take Delight in this
This is a poly
This
Here's an all-hands-on-deck situation
It is an all-hands-on-deck
If this is the moment
It requires
Leadership
And if it's not presidential leadership its Congressional leadership and I think that the American public will hold
People accountable for it
And I just am waiting to find out what that is I I just where is that leadership
But one thing I will tell you right now we're sitting in the midst of this to get this under control
I will tell you first and foremost for anything that's happening since we've got to stop and I'm doing everything in my power to make sure it does
Never happen again
Whoever created this has got to be held accountable for the one thing I will tell you from the highest of offices
I told directly to
To break that action take place
And I will make that action to take flight leave McCarthy Major Garrett
Denny
Any misgivings about the
Objections raised and what was set in motion on the floor today that
Created this environment that created the storming of the capital or at least if not created
Create an atmosphere in which
They thought it was permissible
I don't think today started it
But what I've watched this entire nation
Always on time and again
I mean I can go back
Number of times but never to this point
So who's ever been involved in that
A pox on all houses whoever been participated in any of this
This should be a moment that brings us together that not devices
This should be a moment
Where are fiber of democracy gets
Strong is because we're being challenged this moment this is where Republicans and Democrats and independents
Should Stand Together against this and never allow this to happen again
Whitney McCarthy does the Capitol Police need to have reinforcements from the National Guard to
Create a cyst
Stability situation
Skip Capital back under control
From what I'm seeing right here I am not a police officer but I think
I think they're doing an amazing job but the size of the crowd
There were barriers around that broken through a number of barriers but I think for the security of others
I think help is needed
From the National Guard
Yes
And what is the plan to bring Congress back into session do you have intentions of doing that tonight getting back to work
Are you going to take a powder for the rest of the day
I think first and foremost let's get this under control
Let's take a deep breath right now let's solve this
And let's take this moment for everyone who is listing for anyone who's watching
We all have a responsibility here
Let's take a responsibility at their self
Did we ever do something on social media to whoever yell at somebody on the political beliefs and left stop that
Let's stop and respect one another and never take it to this level ever again
Leaving McCarthy this is Ed O'Keefe
Ignoring major Fufu questions on what transpired this afternoon what is your understanding about
Injuries inside the capitol was anyone shocked with anyone else
Hurt we've heard conflicting reports and I know you've been a confirming source
On some of this elsewhere
Look up
Because of my locality of where my office was right by the capitol because of the Capitol Police and where they had
How to close everything down I could hear on radio
Different things that are being reported
I will I will wait to see what they are able to report I don't want to give
Any misinformation out there but from what I heard and what I what I was able to view
I know people are being hurt
Okay
And
What was your understanding of the Capitol police's preparations for today
Did they give you a sense in advance that they were
Planning
More or a more robust presence
Ahead of today's headlines
Yeah they had a very bad more robust they had barriers
Further away from the capital
There barriers on the backside
Those were broken through I could see for my office people coming in
I saw more reinforcements coming in I seen him
Overtake them just by the size going through windows
I've never seen anything like it
And as far as you know all of your colleagues are safe
And not injured while your house
Lawmaker Coronavirus
But right now people are safe but
Linda McCarthy Rudy Giuliani said this morning before the crowd of tens of thousands
Let's have trial by combat
We've been out of anyone that thinks that is what we do in America that is
Not what we do in America
That is not Who We Are
I just I just am at odds with
How
Political leaders can believe that words and rhetoric
Don't matter
History teaches that
They do matter I've watched it I watched it on both sides of the aisle and watch to go I've had a
I got a colleague shot
Watch member safe to go after other members
This chick's got to stop and you know what
It has to not just stop with our leader just got to stop with everybody in America themselves
They think if they say something on social media there just saying it the threats that go
I've watched
Different houses come after him
All of that has got to
Stop it we got to respect one another and respect the difference of opinion
This is not what we do when we disagree
The highest ranking Republican in the House of Representatives
Kevin McCarthy we thank you for your time condemning the violence and telling us that you've called the president
Attempt to address the nation
To end
This now
We wish you success in your urging of the president to do that
Thank you
I just am actually kind of
Emotional mostly moved by his comments because I just
It's like it's all come to this
You know it's dumb
And you can understand
And down but you know he doesn't want to admit what is obviously true what is obviously true is this
Did not happen
Just because as I said it just one let's storm the capitol
Has ever cared about State before accepted
Happy moments
Of Violence by some storm in the Capitol taking you to seed trying to occupied for a specific reason
And in pursuit of a specific outcome an outcome that would violate the constitution
And governing federal law that is where we are
And I understand the political reluctance of leader McCarthy
To say that is what happened
But Rudy Giuliani speaks for the president
The president complimented Rudy Giuliani for his very rhetoric
It's that book me to McCarthy condemned
This morning
They are not
Separable they are inseparable they are lockstep
And that is what has created this atmosphere again we delineate
They're peaceful protesters there and there are those who stormed United States capitol
Those who stormed and I'm taking this to a violent end
Must be
Dealt with and as leader McCarthy made clear they are violating the law and must be prosecuted only sit here just before
On the east coast and
It appears all the violence is over
It appears most if not all lawmakers are in and around the capitol
Campus
Whether it's in the Capitol building itself or the House and Senate Office Buildings
Or the
Visitor Center which is actually there just below where most of these protesters are there are secure facilities down there
For classified briefings and frankly
Shelters design for security incidents like this so it very well could be
We don't know
But we know that there are facilities in and around the
Complex here
Members especially of the line of succession could be brought
We also know
We're going to here in a little bit
From the president-elect
Joe Biden who is actually was already scheduled to speak this afternoon for Wilmington Delaware
And is expected to speak just briefly
On what is the
Transpired today here in Washington as president of the United States for it to end
I mean he has he has more security than anybody
Why isn't he in the White House in the Oval Office was a present United States why isn't he in the briefing room
Leadership by tweet where is the address to the nation at 2
On the steps of the Capitol to leave
And that's where the standstill right now where nobody's breaking in but they're still lingering
At what point does somebody have to step in and tell these people back off so that we can hold these two proceedings
And will they do that
Because if not I could get quite interesting
Nancy Cordes who remains on Capitol Hill Nancy
Eleanor I was listening to your amazing interview with leader McCarthy and appreciated the fact
Fact that he said that he's now urging the president
To use better rhetoric but I have to tell you
But over the past 4 years
On a near weekly basis when I have asked
Leader McCarthy or leader McConnell or many other Republicans about the president's rhetoric
About clearly lies about threats that he has made about insults that he has made to repel
Publicans and Democrats alike
About inappropriate things that he has done they have almost always
Look the other way
Excused it pretended not to know what we were talking about at every turn when they've had an offer
Opportunity to stand up and say this is not acceptable they have chosen not to do so
And so it's no surprise
If you don't call him out that after four years his supporters who are also your supporters if
You're a republican believe the things that he is saying because other people who they respect Republicans
Leaders
At the Capitol have not stood up to him even as recently as the last couple of months
When the president started to say that this election was stolen from him and making these why
Wild claims of
Fraud
And irregularities
Republicans would tell me privately will we just have to let him do it we have to humor him we have to stand by him
Because it'll only be worse going to let him get it out of his system but of course at the end of the day he'll never
Really try to hold on to power well what happened today
He's urging his phone vice-president to overturn the results
Of the election if that isn't an attempt at a coup I don't know what is 1/10 /
Republican leaders I think do bear some responsibility here because while their AIDS
Have a time even describe the president
As a Madman
I'm not making that up nor they have used that term a Madman
They are saying that privately but in public their bosses are saying either nothing
Exactly the opposite
And it's an interesting point that you raised Nancy because I got this
Send it today and it started with Mitch McConnell who we all praise is making a historic
And remarkable speech he essentially tried to put the genie back in the bottle
That we can't continue with this little ass into a death spiral
Mission that he and other Republicans have given President Trump for four years as Nancy has so
Laudably articulated that zone of permission has been wide and expansive and in some cases
Almost
Elastic
It can never be stretched to its ultimate limit
Maybe until just now
And this is what happens when his owner permission become so permissible and you inspire people to think of them
Themselves as insurrectionist as those who have to storm the capital to preserve their idea of what a
America is
When you lose the idea of what America is
Through violence
You giving up
It's like lighting a match to
To the house on fire and then yelling at the fire stop burning stop burning
You can't yell at a fire to stop it from burning
You have to hold it down
I'm being told that we have because we've reached the point
And leader McCarthy has confirmed it and I think why he speaking out is that
The situation is turned violent on Capitol Hill it has led to some serious injuries
As well as gunshots
Being fired and I think that's why so many who
Love the capital surgery
This is the person who is apparently wounded by gunshot we want to warn you
But there is blood
I just was inside the United States capital this afternoon in the wake of this
Violence arrest
And as we watch this we know now that the governor of Virginia is sending
Some of his National Guard
And Maryland governor Larry Hogan
Chris tweeted that his Direction the
DC police and US Capitol Police will be backed up by members of the Maryland State Police
Single American should be outraged by this attack the Attorney General of the District of Columbia reiterating to
District residence quote
All district residents must remain at home under no circumstances should anyone travel downtown nor be in the vicinity of fed
Federal buildings
Calling on the president to order his supporters to leave the District of Columbia and embrace the peaceful transition to Joba
Biden and Kamala Harris later this month
But pretty telling
The district had to go
With the neighbors and not the military to get assistance faster
When they're clearly in need of assistance at the Capitol keep this orderly especially again is
The sun begins to set over the capitol
Alot of angry people
Today who has
Felt someone stoke
Feelings that they have
And have
Coming out of the capital in a
Wittnauer joint statement from
Leader Schumer and speaker Pelosi
That one sentence we are calling on President Trump to demand that all protesters leave the US Capitol
And Capitol grounds immediately
I'm now just hearing and getting from the chief Pentagon spokesman that the DC guard has been mobilized
To provide support to federal law enforcement in the district
Acting secretary Miller has been in contact with Congressional leadership and secretary McCarthy has been working with the DC
The government the law enforcement response will be lead
By the department of
Justice
Led by the Department of Justice
Again that's fine line that we talked about earlier
Has the Pentagon and Military Express by the former 10 secretaries of defense do not want this to be
A military app
But this is a Law Enforcement Act and that's why the justice department lead but to making sure
Status
Mob violence
He has failed quickly and
Under an acting attorney general with an uncertain leadership
Ring of leaders in both institutions but to your earlier Point Nora about that
Op-ed
Signed by those 10 secretaries of State who work for Democrats and Republicans
We all sitting at this table no
That that op-ed was written because people had
Concerns that were more than theoretical discussions
That there were
Theories or things being bounced around in their particular areas
Of expertise and awareness and if your former Defense secretary
I think you know what I'm talkin about you talk to lots of people who are at the cusp and the very front line of all of these things
The National Security apparatus
This is video from inside the house because earlier
So this what where this is being shot from is actually the side of the house chamber with the first lady normalize yes correct
During Stadium there you can see members of Congress that's pramila jayapal Miller giantwaffle Washington correct
Listen
That woman there
Is a member of Congress action .22 tactical
Video where a statement because she's getting some of his speech
And there were a lot of prayers sent today I'm only on Capitol Hill.
Crossamerica for the state of Oregon
And that stay down stay down
Shouts a member of Congress inside the hallowed Halls
Ivar United States. that's not a shower cap that's the kind of
The event of some kind of
Chemical agent being released in the chamber
So whenever we reported earlier that members have been instructed to
Use the gas mask under their seats and have them ready for to shelter in the chairs and this is the video showing that in fact many that dude
We know the chamber wasn't the house chamber wasn't breached by protesters but the Senate
Chamber was because remember they had cleared the Senate out faster and it apparently
Some of the protesters were able to make it onto the senate floor and
Right and just to remind people who haven't visited the capital before you have the dome in the middle you have the house chamber on once
Inside the Senate chamber
On the other
And there you have the images of
United States capital and so on the East front right of the steps
On the bottom of the screen in the west front where the inaugural will take place at the top
Of the screen and you saw much of the breach
We Believe might have come from both places
Has people went through not only Statuary Hall but also with Fred below Statuary Hall which is the
Which of the basement area under the Rotunda so they weren't up to the street so it would have been in
Ebenezer way to get into the building for some going back to what the Senate Majority Leader said on the floor
Back when this day did not have
The odor and the repellent imagery of insurrection
He said the president had embraced sweeping conspiracy theories
So let's just walk through this very carefully
It has been suggested the president and his campaign and those allied with it if not had their day in court
That's correct in a certain sense way
Heard about 60
Maybe seventy days in court it lots of different venues
Bring lots of different lawsuits
And
All but one
Have been nullified for lack of point of Law and lack of evidence or lack of standing
And in three cases Michigan Pennsylvania and Wisconsin federal courts invited the Trump campaign
To bring specific evidence
A grievances about the conduct of Elections
In those three states to prove the allegations of Fraud and in all three instances before federal court
The Trump campaign with Drew
Did not provide any evidence so
These
Conspiracy theories
Have now quite clearly run-amok
And they have brought us
To this sad and deeply regrettable moment we are seeing playing out on live television
That the FBI has been deployed to assist US Capitol Police there are now
Target concerns about about those who are
Will be held responsible in a criminal way I also want to bring back in Jeffrey Rosen
Of the was president of the national Constitution Center
Ann and Jeff
One of the ideas that people have discussed in watching this
Is
Part of the u.s. code about seditious conspiracy
About what has led us to this moment can you walk us through
What is at the heart of seditious conspiracy
Seditious conspiracy occurs when two or more people conspire to
Overthrow or put down by force
The government of the United States in any state or any part of the United States subject to its jurisdiction
So this law has been used to prosecute Puerto Rican nationalists
White supremacist
Islamic terrorists in the 1990s
Loosen the most
Recent uses of that law
I just reread the text the conspiracy doesn't even have to succeed it's even if it's attempted it can be
Recharged
And I have not researched this to read the case law so this isn't considered opinion but the tax
The law which forbids two or more people conspiring to
Overthrow by force the government of the United States
Arguably applies to this case
Jeffrey Rosen thank you as always for your Brilliance and for standing with us and just one more point on
That
Any ideas seditious conspiracy and what you just laid out
You imagined that something that someone could be charged with
Well it could indeed that would be a federal decision would be under the
Department of Justice the new Department led by Merrick Garland has just been nominated today
Could bring those charges they would have to decide which members of the mob to charge and how they conspired together
But it would be a federal charge and it could indeed be brought by the US government
And then Jeff is you watch all this your thoughts
Your passion and the gravity
Your reaction if you watch them
Are those that I share in all citizens share
This is not America and we must
Cleave to the Constitution and the rule of law as a Shining Light
Abraham Lincoln give the most moving speech to the Springfield lyceum where he said that when we allow
Passion to get the better of reason then we run the risk of succumbing to mob Rule and abandoning
The rule of law
Let's reread Lincoln's speech
To those people in Springfield set aside our partisan differences
And realize
But without the Constitution and the rule of law as our lodestar
Everything that makes America a beacon of light and Liberty will be imperiled
Well said and hopefully those words will be incorporated by some of our leaders as they address
This moment I should let people know
That we are expecting to hear from the president-elect
Joe Biden
At this moment we have heard from the leading Republican in the House of Representatives Kevin
McCarthy
Who condemned the violence and said he had spoken with the president of the United States President Trump and ask him to condemn the violence
We not heard
President Trump come before the American people
On camera
We've not heard
From the vice-president on camera they have sent some comments via tweet
But after earlier addressing
This crowd of tens of thousands
They have not yet come forward to address them again and ask them to stop
The violence against our United States Capitol the DC fire department says 5 + p
People have been reported to have been transported to the hospital
The woman who showed you earlier who was shot she is in critical condition is at a nearby hospital
We've shown you the pictures of people crawling up the sides
Of the US Capitol
Someone has fallen off and is suffering from abrasions and fractures
We're also told of someone suffering from cardiac arrest
At the US Capitol
No further details from that
You are also
Witnessing images
Some of which we showed you earlier of members of Congress and lawmakers
Huddled
On their knees
Some praying
Some with gas masks over their head
Waiting
Cuddling
As the doors were breached or almost reached in the House and Senate chambers
Which no doubt provoke
What I think was one of the most powerful interviews
Have ever been engaged in with the House minority leader
Kevin McCarthy
Caillou
Condemned the comments of Rudy Giuliani
Earlier today when Rudy Giuliani
Once America's mayor
Inside of this crowd earlier by saying it's time to have trial by combat
Those words were clearly ingested
Digested
And I've now
To desecrate the capital
2
Six occupied
And to commit criminal acts in the name of patriotism
That's what this is that's what this is about
People who are
As you said
Nor in Feud with this idea that there is something larger they're fighting for
When they are acting in the smallest
Possible way a criminal way
To attack the capital occupied and violate federal law in full public view in pursuit of something they consider to be lofty
The things that you pursue our lofty the Constitution the rule of law with the American Republic stands
That what you are doing the desecrated
In full
Public View
And as we've been reporting the National Guard requests for additional National Guard have
I've been approved by the Pentagon
Buy out of the pack by the DC mayor has reported that the National Guard from Virginia and Maryland Governor's Cup
Police have been activated also get the eye getting involved
Portage point it would be beneficial for all concerned if they were to arrive before nightfall
Yeah and there's there's already some conversation underway about how exactly you
Begin to restore order and ensure the safety of members of Congress so that they can at some point whether it's today or tomorrow reconvene
Mean
To hold this extraordinary session that was already supposed to be held
Frankly at this point for Eastern
Would have been 3 hours into the proceedings
They probably would have just been reconvening
After the two hours of debate
Over the challenge to the state of Arizona's results
I would have been moving on for the alphabet eventually getting to Georgia Georgia again Trump
The current president knighted states being coaxed
Bye
Leaders aids to address the nation
Ben Tracy at the White House recording he's seen a on a camera being set up no
Clear sign yet that we may hear from the president the vice president elect
To buy me is about to address the nation before the current president
I work in the White House the camera can be flipped on at any second it can literally be put
United States wants to address the country
It happens this fast all it takes is intention own words of President used in a different context this morning
Courage
And as soon as president-elect Joe Biden
Comes to the podium we will take his remarks
Live it is just after 4 in the east
And what we've witnessed in the past several hours
Is
Thousand storm the US Capitol
Here now
President-elect
Joe Biden
Sorry
Noxious inconvenience
But I'm sorry for the reason
We've delayed
I've delayed coming out
Speak to you
Initially was going to talk about the economy
All of you
All of you been watching
What I've been watching
At this hour
Our democracy is under unprecedented assault
Unlike anything we've seen in modern times
Assault
The Citadel of Liberty
The capital
Excel
Assault on the people's Representatives
The Capitol Hill Police
Sworn to protect them
The public servants
Work
At the heart of our Republic
An assault on the rule of law
Like
Few times we've ever seen it
Michelle
Almost sacred
American undertakings
The doing of the people's business
Let me be very clear
The scenes of chaos at the Capitol
Do not reflect
Truamerica
Do not represent Who We Are
What we're saying
Are small number of extremist
Dedicated so lawlessness
This is not the scent
It's disorder
It's chaos
It borders on sedition
And it must end
Now
I call in this mob
The pull back and allow the work of democracy to go forward
You heard me say before a different context
The words of a president matter
No matter how good or bad
At their best
The words of a president can inspire
After worst
They can incite
Therefore
I call on President Trump
Go on national television now
Fulfill his oath
And defend the Constitution
The tution
And demand an end to this Siege
Storm the capitol
The smash windows
Occupy offices
The floor of the United States Senate
Rummaging through desk
On the capital of the House of Representatives
Threatening the safety of duly elected officials it's not protest
It's insurrection
The world's watching
Like so many other Americans
I'm genuinely shocked and saddened the tarnation
Soul
Long Beacon
Of light and Hope
Democracy
Has come to such a dark moment
True war and strife
Americas in March
And we will endure here and we will prevail again
It will prevail now
The work of the moment
In the work of the next four years must be the restoration
Democracy decency
Honor
Respect
The rule of law
Just playing
Simple
Decency
The renewal of a politics
It's about solving problems looking out for one another
Not stoking the Flames of
Hate and chaos
I said America's about honor
Decency respect
Tolerance
That's who we are
Actually always been
The certification electrical it the Electoral College vote
Supposed to be a sacred ritual
We affirm
Purpose is to affirm the Majesty
American democracy
Today's reminder
Painful one
Democracy is fragile
Deserve it
Requires people of Goodwill
Leaders
The courage to stand up
For devoted not to the pursuit of power
Or the personal interest Pursuits of Their Own self-interest
Is any cost
What are the common good
People are children watching television
Decode the rest of the world
Fornelli two-and-a-half centuries
We the People
In search of a
More perfect union
Ever kept our eyes on that common good
America's so much better than
Watching the season the capital
As reminders as I prepared other speeches in the past was
Words of Abraham Lincoln
This annual message to Congress
Whose work
Has today been interrupted by chaos
Lincoln said
He said we shall nobly save
Or merely lose
The last
Best
Hope on Earth
Went on to say
The way is playing
Peaceful
Generous
Just
Away
Which is followed
The world will forever reply
God must forever bless
The way is playing here too
Actually are
History of democracy
Respect
Decency
Commitment
Patriots to this nation
Notwithstanding what I saw today we're seeing today
I remain optimistic about the incredible opportunities
There's never been anything we can't do
When we do it together
In this god-awful display
Today
Bring it home to every Republican
Democrat independent nation
We must Step Up
Fishes.
United
States of America
There's never ever ever ever ever been a thing we tried to do
McDonald together
Not been able to do it
So President Trump
Step Up
The God Bless America
May God protect our troops
And all those Folks at the Kappa
We're trying to preserve our
Thank you and I'm sorry to have kept you waiting
And they're the
President-elect saying that this our our democracy is under unprecedented
Assault
Calling on President Trump to step up
Safety security
The American people in a standoff
Stand up now
Enough is enough
Enough
Is enough
Is a knock-knock concern about the Safety and Security of the inauguration
That message it enough is enough is enough is also being accurate by
The Republican leader in the house
We spoke with a short time ago who said at the time to end this
But also a very strong
Measured
Pause statement
By the president-elect
Urging President Trump to go on National Television
And demand an end to what he called
The seed
On Capitol Hill by a mob in his words he said the words of a president matter
No matter how good or bad the president is
At their best those words can inspire
And at their worst
They can insight
Insurrection
Important word to meaningful work it's one we haven't really had to think about in this
Before very long time thankfully we have to think about it now as we behold it is that's what it is
You can call it nothing else
It is in a small small form and act of insurrection
But it is as he pointed out while is an assault on the Citadel of Liberty are United States
Capital in an assault on the representative democracy and assault on the public servants and assault on the rule of law
And an assault on our sacred American democracy he did note
But this is a small group of people and does not represent our country as a whole and then he speaks this afternoon
Gibson governor
Cross the country issue statements condemning this
Mike dewine governor of Ohio
Ron DeSantis governor of Florida they're both Republican correct Virginia
But I just sit here guys and watch this and say this doesn't happen here
The next president isn't supposed to tell the current one to clean up the violence in the streets into condemning
My mother from Central America tweeted
Text me the Wilder she doesn't see this in Venezuela Nicaragua
We don't see this year in United States and she's got a point
And I know a lot of people watching right now at home were thinking the same thing
Dennis shipping credible to think that we are no
Different now that regard
And some of these other countries with struggled with these kinds of transitions
This is what everyone feared
Watches and monitors this closely that we've all spoken to since the election in November
But this kind of unrest
Causing A disruption like that I want to make sure that we get this some live pictures right now about what's
Opening
On Capitol Hill
I know we're showing you some images of people climbing that lets take some live pictures of what's happening on
On Capitol Hill right now the state of the protests
This is live
That you see
That doorway right there is I believe the doorway on the west front of the Capitol that you
You see the president and dignitaries come out of
I think that's right I think that's right it's my memory
The beautiful door and when photographers are well-positioned there they get the most magnificent Inauguration Day shots from that
Advantage point right
So you sense there
Ahmad there's another live picture right here of people rappelling up the size of
The capital which is sort of unnecessary because they're steps everywhere
This is this is this is the
This I believe is the north side of the building
This is not the east
Now we're looking at the rest
This is the restaurant
But there's also at this hour a heavy law enforcement presence that is arriving on Capitol
Oh hell
Has there been
A number of a National Guard that have been called up as well as different state police that have been made
Want to check in with Ben Tracy
Who is at
The White House and
Ben
I know you've been following are covered in doing reporting at the same time
There no calls from everybody in the Republican party and even the president
Elect for President Trump
To step up and speak out where is he and I are now being told that we should
Should expect some sort of video message from the president soon a little while back we are actually walking to the West Wing week and seen the rose
Garden they had set up a camera there
Which is often a signal that the president is going to record
Some sort of message but to the point that you guys have been making the president could have in the course of the last hour and a half
Have two hours simply walk down a very short hallway to the briefing room
Where there are already cameras and address the nation he doesn't necessarily have to take questions but he has decided not to do that
Are there is no apparent sense of urgency in the west west wing right now and that is just kind of bizarre
When you walk through there the few ways that are there they are huddled in their offices they're watching this all planned on television we're told the
President has been meeting with his Chief of Staff Mark Meadows in the Oval Office and watching this on TV as well in these small
Call office
Just offered to the side of the Oval Office but we are told that we should expect to see the president on camera in
Recorded message that he would likely put out on his Twitter page in Tracy that
Video has just been tweeted out by other White House
So it's not clear why the president doors advisors don't want him to speak live to the American public as a president like Joe Biden
Just did practice of concern about the comments that he will make the 200 it's a video
Him standing in the Rose Garden one relevant quote that's just been told to me through my ear pieces you have to go home now
I presume that is a direct reference to the Trump inspired protesters who stormed the capitol
And it's like an act of insurrection you have to go home now there be more as it plays out and we why I'm sure are doing everything
Thing to turn it around as rapidly as possible but it is on the presidents
Twitter feed
Just posted
Less than 2 minutes ago
And our control marriage as well as
Others are working to turn that around to show
To our audiences now the president has come out from his
His Twitter feed and appeared on camera following the president-elect
To make these comments at
This our question is who's going to
Tell these protesters
They're not looking at their phones necessary
They're not
They're in the moment they're in the moment
And cell signals up there aren't that great anyway would then there's that many people so it's not like anyone working me all the seat but you can tell there
There has been a concerted pleading effort with the president night states to do something
Yes
Two children is grown adult children were tweeting about this thing it needs to stop and go home Eric Trump
Ivanka Trump
Former aides of his friend Pascal and kellyanne Conway and others
Pick Mulvaney his former Chief of Staff while saying this needs to stop all of it designed to catch his eye perhaps
In his own Twitter stream and encouraged him to say something and bring him to a place of some kind of action
Late though it may be and I noticed Nora as social media is an ongoing a continue
This conversation
The first retweet of the president's video someone
Reminds him of a previous tweet
Big protest in DC on January 6th be there will be wild
Reminding him of his very own fingerprints on what we are seeing playing out
United States capital
That praise be wild headstand struck out to me
Even when it was tweeted out several
Weeks ago because it it seemed to be sort of that
That coded
Type of message
But sometimes the president
Code language again I spoke of a zone of permission
This is what a zone of permission from the president United States looks like
Do we have the video
And let's listen and now to the video
President-trump
I know you pain
I know you're 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 & Order we have to respect to 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 time like this where
Such a thing happened with a 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 and peace
Once again the president making unsubstantiated claims of a fraudulent election that even his outgoing Attorney General William
Is not true
As well as
Both Republican leaders in the house and the Senate have obviously said is not it is not true is not a fraudulent election
So let's make that clear the President also saying go home you know I really
Speaks to how to detaches from reality
And the reason is if he has a president
It gets to travel by private plane and for 4 years has been able to travel by helicopter
I had people tell me
All these people have traveled in on commercial air flights
They're smoking hotel rooms for tonight in the District of Columbia they're not people of extreme wealth this is a big outdoor
Going for that gets there Disneyland
A big event of the year when people are strapped for cash economic time they've made the
Decision to spend money and make this
Their moment
I'm just to say go home it doesn't work that way there's no tells you're going to stay here in the district of
And it continued the rage that is been fuelled within them I read work for months
And it's something that the president has stoked for months and he continues to in this message
Buy once again noting about a fraudulent
It is an arms-length relationship to the reality is created
That's a fact
The president continues to allow them
To nurse these grievances
Again I repeat
I've had numerous hearings in court state and federal court
Numerous hearings
Nothing has come of that
The proof never ever was proper
To make this outrageous and unsubstantiated claim get he repeats it so the grievance that he told them
Four weeks you must come to Washington to do something about he now says old go home
As if that is the only thing
That will
Tamp down
The Flames that he has blown the hot breath of his presidency on
4 weeks
It doesn't work that way it's better than nothing
But it's closer to nothing then it could have been
We're watching now what is the West front of the Capitol in a protesters who seem immovable at this point
And
Check the gays is there and covers the justice department and it has been covering these protests
From day one Jeff what do you see from your Vantage Point
Who are we just saw Nora teargas
Oh there was this allowed Papa that we saw this plume of smoke right over my shoulder here because as you noted
This crowd doesn't seem to be going anywhere at this point we have this curfew that will be in effect
We also have
A larger law enforcement presence perhaps you can see that over my shoulder
And you hear the cheers from the crowd because now they seem to be reacting to what law enforcement is doing
It seems to be building to the some sort of
I don't know if confrontation is destroying a war but some sort of Face Off
Believe
Montoursville
Every scroll that is gathered here because over the last several minutes
We've seen some members of the crowd
Going for more people to come
Help them Reach the capital so they aren't backing down they aren't all going home
Variables are staying out here
Still encouraging people
The climb the walls
And breach this Capital so it'll be interesting to see over the next few minutes
Brass over the next couple of hours
A law enforcement react to this
But for some reason
The last 10 minutes or so
Mall portsmouth nh
To release more teargas we heard this pop
Agnes plume of smoke
Let me get your take on that because you cover the law enforcement
Adam Beach
Why is your sense that there's some sort of Confrontation Brewing
Because at some point
We're going to have to enforce this law
They're going to have to enforce this curfew that the mayor of DC is called for
So what's up boy they're going out to clear these people out
Headed back we heard some people decided to leave because they
I overheard what couples I listen I don't want to be caught up in this I get the feeling that there
Going to start pushing these people back
And I would agree with that it at some point
Law enforcement is going to have to enforce this curfew and enforce this law
And try to call me Stroud's down in fact
Over the last hour
We have seen law enforcement move into this area we've heard the siren
Is Bi-Lo lines of police cruisers coming in
It's a Balsam seed
Police officers are law enforcement of some sort it's hard to see because it's some distance away
Woodstock
Gas mask
It's so they are gearing up for something or you can just see it you feel it in the air
But you also have the protesters here
Getting riled up a little bit still getting rather riled up
I said calling for people to preach the capital they
Facebook sober at least
Think this is some sort of
Showdown some sort of Revolution it sort of odd to watch
They have it in their head
That this is their time
To take back their house
That's what we've heard them say
Is that town that chanting I hear behind you deaf
Every subject that it's hard to make out
Stop chatting about you hear them chanting about President Trump
And other things that frankly weekend broadcast
So there is something as well
Yeah we've got a pool fee that's that's popping around some images that I just want to show people that you can see
The Metro Police
Yes earlier
Has the Senate entrance
And you can see that's the type of
Police force that we have
Guarding the entrance
Fatsia Carriage entrance entrance into the used to cover Capitol Hill
You would see the vice-president enter from Senators it brings you right
Write up very quickly and you can see
Family encourages now in cars
This is what our law enforcement is trained to do
And they put their
Why is it risky
To try and keep the peace in circumstance like this
But if you're one of those wondering what's an extra when does this get resolved what one of the things I say
What happened to Stephanie saying it's going to push all those people man
But then they're going to have to sweep
Every room of the Capitol complex
Before they deem it safe enough to reconvene the house and send it to finish the work that their constitutionally obligated to do
And so this could take into the night until tomorrow but thanks anyway
To just clear the area just in the area and secure it so that they can return
4:30 here in Washington and usually the sunsets in just over an hour
Hour from now
In wintertime so it is about to get dark
Here in Washington DC which is of course the concern for many law enforcement officials
Parts of the crowds is that the gays have decided to disperse who don't want to be involved in a confrontation
We're getting numbers on the number of law enforcement that are headed
To Capitol Hill
A mix of
State troopers from Virginia
And Maryland
A number of national
Guard
We Believe are also on the way they have been approved
We're cold this is being coordinated by the US justice department and we're saying
Pictures of
People with oxygen
Law enforcement and others who are being transported
From
The US Capitol who
Have been injured
Major let's return now to
Any idea about what today was supposed to be today was supposed to be by us code a day of
Really Berry
Perfunctory kind of ceremonial where the vice president would preside over
A joint session of the house and set it to open the envelopes certified by each state signed by the governor of each day
And in this case from District Columbia providing for Congress and its inspection and it's
Acceptance the electoral votes from those jurisdictions as you said pro-forma in the past
There's been some objections in the past I do want to suggest there haven't ever been an objection what is important about those previous subject
Directions 2001-2005 2017
The defeated presidential candidate in those cases did not endorse efforts to contest those and did not
Seek allies in the House and Senate to bring this to a full
Blown
Crisis as this president has and as many Republicans have been very large numbers but the process was
Was to play out the first state that was contested was Arizona the debate had just begun shortly after 2 p.m. Eastern
In the middle of the speech from Jim Lankford republican from Oklahoma in the Senate whosip
Torts challenging the electoral votes in Arizona
The Senate chamber was evacuated as what's the house because these protesters storm the capital reached
Security barriers and entered in such a way
And with such what appeared to be menacing intent that the Capitol Police fell day was encumbered upon them
To rapidly remove
The vice president night States the Senators and eventually members of the House
And he wasn't supposed to go on that's what did happen
And it is now
In abeyance
Because of these occupiers
Of the United States capitol
And that you were just noting this window that is being crawled through right now
They're crawling into the cab right there Overlook the West front of the Capitol high up like that and have a balcony
Are usually leadership offices in my correct
If we could
We have to have a wider view of this shot to know exactly which window that is but the fact that they're able to
To do this at all just shows you the lack of coherent law enforcement response
To repel them and if they're still a danger to those inside and that this is not yet been resolved and is nowhere near being rude
This is a wanton Act of vandalism and you can see that they are sort of
Exulting in this desecration of the capital waving and extolling the crowd to cheer
You're the one that's the mindset of those who are doing this occupation
And to edgepoint
And possibly to Jeff the gauges point there on scene
For the
Hardheads really want to find a way to make this a confrontation
That appears to be coming because you cannot resolve this without pushing these people
Well off the stairs and out of the capital and that is going to have to be done by force cuz it doesn't appear
They're willing to leave voluntarily and I would that image that we just showed you was from inside
Pelosi's office
People have reached the Speaker of The house's office
And don't know which office
Specifically whether occurs or
One of her aides cuz it's a large complex of offices but regardless they got into that area would should be rather see
With a note that says we will not back down
We're told law enforcement
He's on the way
Even Nordstrom is our director of special events and directing our coverage today
And
And as we see
Protesters
Still throughout the district
Columbia
We now have a statement from
Senator Hawley
Who along with Senator Ted Cruz
I've been one of these Senators who directed
This opposition to the counting of the Electoral
Sharing objection with a member of the House
To bring this debate to fruition
Yaki
Says thank you to the brave law enforcement put their lives on the line the violence month end and those who attacked police and broke the law
Might be prosecuted
And Congress must get back to work and finish
It's job
Questions about weather
The Senate will
So those agencies return to look larger to me Nora and Ed
Play begin the begin
Look to me as if there is movement to
Put in the background
To repeal this crowd to push it back and regain some of the territory if only bit by bit but those numbers appear more conscious
Traded
And
A bit more forceful than they have in Washington DC police not Capitol Police so the reinforcements arrive
MPD there you see Ninja politan Police Department those are the guys that are trained to deal with these large crabs they trained for
Potential violence across the nation's capital and they're doing it now here
At the Capitol is the unrest continues to get banners
Now
Hanging off the sides of the capitol
Describe the not going anywhere at least so far right and you can even see the mask there and some of this is extravagant
Performative revolutionary ism
There is up almost performance art
Repellent what is quality to this
And
Let's just
Articulate the natural extension of what they want
They want to disable the United States Congress from meeting and assembling and conducting its business until they get there
That ladies and gentlemen
Is the clinical dictionary definition of mob rule
And that's what they're seeking and that's what their actions represent
There is no other way to describe
Escanaba Jeff the gays who is outside
The capital just the West front of the Capitol and
Jeff is it fair to say that one of the concerns
Is it we're close to sundown
That's a fair assessment because what that
Suggest is with what the mehrez imposes
6 curfew
At some point they're going to have to clear these people out and I think
If you look behind you can see some people walking from the Capitol building but there are
Many many more people still there
Looking down on them is this line of law enforcement but here's the thing
With all these people you know by my estimate
Probably about a thousand couple thousand people perhaps
You really don't have enough alone forsman here
The push all these people back into clear this seed
Well I'm still waiting to see if we're going to see more law-enforcement showing up here
The help calm the situation down because it's still relatively volatile you have a crowd here
Are people in this group
Who are intent on reaching this
Capitol building facts
I just walked up there a few minutes ago and I heard someone say this is Civil War
Where is the thing that you're hearing is grout and just behind me now you see another
And I
And Jenny Lewis. We heard that Bop
And in a Jeff I misspoke earlier but
Sunset is at 5:01
So in winter time it comes quite early so we're just half an hour now
From sunset
And
You know it's already a very Rowdy and MOB like crowd
And that's one of the concerns except the gays noted
Some have gone home but others are waiting
For that confrontation
I've been asking all day for summary
The number of law enforcement
I have been called in to help do you know what that is
Well we will have exact numbers but we know
At about 300 members of the National Guard were activated for this day
Here in DC
And you had
Obviously you had that Metro Police Department
Officers here is well you have Capital PD
So there should be a sizable force of law enforcement
But what we've seen is that
Sedalia police
They've been slow to react I mean everybody knew
Going into this day that there would be this March toward the capitol everybody knew that but for some reason
It just appears that law enforcement today was
Slow to react
Who does the number of people who descended on Washington for this event
Elizabeth they called save the save America event
It's a what you see behind me is a result of that you have this
Yeah this massive crowd
Gathering here on the capitol steps
Some people climbing the walls here
Enforcement
I seem to be caught flat-footed here
Responding to there so it'll be interesting to see
How they get the situation under control
Jeff the gays outside the capital there
And it's been an extraordinary day as we've already heard
From the president elect Joe Biden saying this
Must and he called it an assault on the Citadel of Liberty the representative the public servants
An assault on the rule of law
And an assault on our most sacred institutions of democracy
He said these scenes do not represent all that we are that they are a small group of extremists
The Republican leader in the House of Representatives on our air and probably one of the most incredible interviews of our career
We are sounding emotional angry saying he specifically had called President Trump told him to address the nation
Call the President's chief of staff
Imploring him
To address the nation and call for an end to the violence
Suggesting that those words in that short video that the president just released
Would essentially cause these protesters
Devin wild up for months to just go home it's clear they're not listening
It's clear that they are bearing down at this moment bearing down for a confrontation
With law enforcement and yes Ed you have something for dinner
And they may not be looking at their phone that's why
He may have tweeted this and send it but we don't know that it's actually reaching the people who need to hear that was that was my only Point forgive me for
And I think we would all agree nor listening as we all had a chance to
Ask Lena McCarthy numerous questions I detected
A modicum of helplessness in his voice I don't think he felt he had any real ability
To get control of this situation
That this was a whirlwind that he was
Being pulled into and all members of the House and Senate had been pulled into in ways that he found unexpected even though
He is the leader of the House Republican conference and a very close and stalwart allies we said a President Trump
And pray for me with
Park Meadows the current white house chief of staff and the entire conversation within the trumpian world which he is a regular
Part of I detected in his voice
I want this to stop and I'm not sure if Ken or I can
Stop it
I don't know if you heard the same thing but I guess I've been listening to in my head I heard it
Only sort of a sense of sadness
But a sense of disbelief that I had reached
This moment
But
President-elect Biden said the words of a president matter
No matter how great or how bad
They can Inspire or they can incite
And today they incited
The inside of the the crowd in the mob that is at the United States Capitol today
They were incited by Rudy Giuliani who earlier in the day
Said let this be trial
Mi combat
And this group of
Fervent supporters of the president of the United States they took those words and they lose them not only as a rallying cry but his
Marching orders and that's have marched to the front steps of the Capitol the back steps of the Capitol inside the cat
Capital into the floor
I work the most important debates of our nation take place in into the speaker of the House's office they are no standing on the very
Steps and on the podium we're presently Joe Biden will be sworn into office two weeks ago no matter
What happened Congress Will Sasso
It's ultimate Duty as his final step and just doing what is a perfunctory matter in counting these electoral
About anything now is really a question of leadership
As politicians who as their profession use their words to encourage support and
And action are now unable to pull back what they have created
And those lawmakers who serve on Capitol Hill who regularly Insight through rhetoric different types of
Passions have abandoned
The
Citadel of democracy the US Capitol they're no longer they're one of the first to leave was the vice president of the United States
We don't know whether they entirely left
Capitol complex itself infected speaking with some lawmakers
Number to the senator still in and around
Capitol Hill itself but they are may not be in the actual
Building they're all connected through tunnels wanted
Opinion in the office buildings that are right in unity
As we near Sunset
Specialist at about 5:10 tonight had a wonderful one for give me some 16
15 minutes or so
Reminder that there's a curfew here in Washington DC starting at 6 p.m. Eastern
Metro bus and metro rail Services being ended earlier this evening by 8 p.m.
Eastern our transportation unit passes along the
Flight attendants Sue
Stay in downtown Washington hotels are being cleared out of those
Downtown hotels by the airlines as a precaution and hope to stay close to the airports where they're supposed to fly out of
Awesome sense of the
Potential risk tonight in this city
Is discontinuous
And as we've seen there's in the
Increase level of law enforcement there
From Washington DC from the National Guard both of the District of Columbia in Virginia
From Maryland
But we don't know when and how exactly this
And as we talked about our members of Congress I want to bring in a United States Senator Senator Tammy Duckworth
I retired in the Army National Guard Lieutenant Colonel helicopter pilot now distinguished member of the Senate armed services
Committee Senator Duckworth
Thank you for joining us some
I know that in all that you have witnessed in your life
That this is unlike anything you've ever seen
It is unlike anything I've ever seen on domestic soil that is
You know I spent my entire adult life
Pictures of shameful
What are you calling on your colleagues to do in terms of counting those electoral votes
We are all now I'm located in
Electoral college
Dislocation
This is such
An important piece of news a senator Duckworth electoral votes are secure
They are secure with the Senators who are in a secure place there in the United States capitol
And what is your understanding
From leadership about
So your understanding is
Everybody wants to get this done tonight
Chat together
I am going to
Try to encourage them to agree to Florida pressure Senator McConnell into reconvene
Are you just secure with Democratic senators and their Republican senators are secure in a different location
Together in one big room including staff members and what they're doing right now is they are doing
Call
I went out on the floor and
Hampton Police not to perceive
OK Google
A little while ago AAA team
Came and retrieved me and brought me to this location with the other senators are
Remaining senators and staff members who are scattered about
Are all of you able to see what's happening outside the capitol we're broadcasting right now
Yes we have a couple of channels
Senator Duckworth in what we see of course as you know sunset in just about 10 minutes
From now we see a number of the Metro DC police we've been told that additional Nash
National Guard
Have been approved by the Pentagon by the secretary of the army audit that Marilyn
Linden Virginia are also willing to assist
Give me understanding to the centers with you about how they're going to move and disperse This Crowd
20 minutes or so from the police
Understanding
Again
And that we are as safe as you can possibly be where we are at right now
On TV right now
Get video footage from earlier in the day cuz it's showing that people are walking around
Major Garrett is with me Senator thank you for your time he has a question as well
Rachel Garrett I know in the capital there are two families the house family the Senate failed one big family today
But you are you aware of anyone in the Senate family
Member or staff who was injured in this fracas
Anxiously awaiting
When do you think the center might weakened
Being tonight
Express.
Senator MSU ask you about the culpability of what has led us to this moment
We spoke earlier with the House minority leader Kevin McCarthy urging supporters
The president to go home he said he called the president and asked the president to address the nation who recorded at
Short message still claiming that the election was fraudulent and then saying time to go home now
Where do you place the blame
The blame for dentures
She's the one
Who is pressuring governors of of States like Georgia
Terror
Results of election
Supporters
Alexa
Today but you know what democracy will prevail we will not be deterred by
Senator Duckworth
NASCAR control room as well to put up in a banner
That the DC mayor is enforcing is not only ordering but enforcing a 6 p.m.
Because I think the news plays an important role as well and importing
Yes are giving out factual information and it's a more understanding as well
That what is being broadcast right now outside the capitol via megaphone
Is you will be arrested
If you are outside after 6 p.m. that that is part of the method that
Our law enforcement is using now this hour-long buy a bullhorn
6 p.m. curfew you will be arrested what have the Capitol Police been telling you senator
15 minutes ago
You might not have been curious since we have you
A very good source of line very connected on all things Capitol Hill
Just texted me and said that the word is that the house is going to go into session but not in the house chamber
But in the Ways and Means Committee room which is a very large facility that might at fact be large enough for a socially
Distance reconvening at the house have you heard anything along those lines would that surprise you
Best conditioning
You know Senator on that very point
This morning before tens of thousands Rudy Giuliani and Donald Trump Jr
Where the warm-up act for the President Andrew giuliani's called her trial by combat
The president's son Don Jr told congressman who weren't going to vote to overturn the election quote on quote
We are coming for you
How important is it for members of Congress
To not act or show
But there are Duty
Has been
I delayed or rather stop
Because of those that rhetoric and the actions of this mob
I think it is
In America
Are we sharing
I think we'll leave it at that Senator Duckworth we thank you so much for your time for sharing what you know gathered there were
With all the other senators in a secure location
And with the as Senator Duckworth first reported with the electoral votes secure
But in her words are very smart
Quick-thinking staffer said
What's the weather in this chamber are pieces of paper
Envelopes gather them secure them
Keep your wits about you
I can only say on behalf of the entire
American process and democracy well done
Thank you
Yeah I want to I'm trying to get a sense of what's going on on Capitol Hill I'm seeing this picture
On the west front of the Capitol that door that window it appears to me at first when I thought I thought one of these support
Welding material with them and maybe their welding and and opening
Hang up the doors in with welding material then it struck me that perhaps it's the law enforcement from inside the capitol
Shining their bright lines out and saying move back
Move back
In a way to begin the disbursement
You know with with light I just can't tell I wonder if someone can shed light on except the gays and
I know it's a difficult vantage point
But it does appear
But those are centrally in my limited recollection of what law enforcement carries up there
Something appears to be either like a strobe flashlight either that they carry separate from their weapon
Well that might be on some longer weapons up there and I think it's just very difficult to tell from this vantage point
From likely weapon rate in order to distract that is being used in most likely coming
From law enforcement
Storm that that the capitol through that entryway
And law enforcement shooting back the strobe it is difficult for you to see
Andrew for however you see that that group
There does not appear
To be moved back by at all this is the kind of difficult
Situation is going to have to be
Deconstructed here in the coming hours with just 59 minutes until this curfew was at the beginning Washington
With a larger law enforcement presence now on scene and with members of the House and Senate clamoring to reconvene even if they don't do it in
The House and Senate chambers
And I do want to be precise in my language because I do believe that I have called this a
Protests which I believe earlier in the day many of these supporters the present were engaged in a in a protest
At this point it has been called a mob or an insurrection
He did they are inciting violence and they have any work and it is illegal
To be on the the capitol grounds as they are now Jeff degazon want to bring in now and Jeff
Can you explain what's happening
Right now with law enforcement
Slowly
But surely
They are moving some of the demonstrators back
Off the Capitol building
They're not taking
Fast facts and that's for sure
What you have
You Have police officers
Toward the exits if you will
Just
In a line of police officers we we saw them
Just slowly moving people
Tour the exits
Are the people that they were trying to get out of that level of the Capitol building
Bring more compliant so that that is good news perhaps from a law enforcement perspective that things
Escalade
But behind me you still see a lot of people just hanging out there you do hear chance of
USA USA
Until well some people it's cleared out there are so many others
Gathering here on the steps of this Capitol building
Churin
Waiting for apps also for law enforcement next move because as we noted
The Sun is going down
It is getting dark around here and we see more
That maybe teargas there that maybe tear gas
Coming from that
From the center of the Capitol building there where you see just beyond the crowds that have gathered their you see this
Hello
Bloom
It looks like both but we're being told that it is tear gas
Okay stand by Jeff
Standby standby quickly bring in
Cabinets white she's a former FBI agent who specializes now in Macedon Saint Catherine
How does law enforcement get a large crowd like this to disperse and what do those images
We're showing now tell me about what they're trying to do
I know right it's so it is a challenge and you can hear even just for Jeff you can hear that he
Keep breathing in
Tear gas
And that's why his voice is away from
The challenge for law enforcement is darkness is now approaching because it's Sunset right now
Is they are going to have to divide and conquer that the only way that you can take a large crowd
And find a way to disperse it
The building itself
We have to secure the building perimeter before they can try to empty the building out
Spanish months
Secure the perimeter of the building
Then they'll be able to send teams in two different areas
And clear each individual
Corridor building office
But there's also the basement and all the floors above
The big crowd outside to do a lot of times what happens when we see in this kind of box situation
Terrorist situation
Can people who are inciting a riot
If they're all about getting to the site
But they don't really know how to get away from this site
Once I get there they don't really have a plan
And I think that's what we're seeing right now is sunset
Serena location with no bathroom no food
It's getting kind of cold it's going to be down to 30 they've been out all day
Catherine we're seeing that disbursement efforts going on right now
I got to go back to Jeff the gays because we here
The sound of a bang and what appears to be either teargas or something like that Jeff
Yeah we just stay here though in the last couple of minutes we're just seeing things escalate
A bed here we have five sixer
7 or so bangs
Amor smoke
But what is remarkable to me is that we don't see
Too many in the crowd moving toward the exit they're just sort of camped out there
No matter what law enforcement does in terms of these
Flashbangs in in teargas there just would have camped out there
All right so things are calm down a little bit I don't know if I'll enforcement is going to start another
Brown the police came right on
Arches of those windows
Pushing supporters out
Yeah it looks like
Already penetrated those rooms by breaking the glass and climbing in
This is a very narrow balcony
On the west front
So to get these people
Off of here they're going to have to find a staircase to get them two when you can see people not rubbing their eyes
Insertive
Ducking their heads larger numbers and we've seen before coming out of that Central
Entryway
Entryway with two doors
And you see people withdrawing it's essentially withdrawing
Pulling back
Quite obviously under threat
Arrest
And other consequences
And more and more flashbangs you can see the chemical irritant whatever it is we don't know precisely what it is
Are you comes up you can see
You can see how you can hear just say definitely.
Oh just the color of it it says yellow
Yes
Think I got that right we do have some
A former law enforcement what does think they're here helping us describe
Some of the flashes in the bangs that were seeing
But clearly this is that point that we thought would come
Where police are stepping up their efforts to clear the capital building that's what you're seeing right now and now
Do you see this
It look like a firecracker but it's not
It's obviously a flashback as they try to clear people out
Tepig a standby we're going to continue to monitor this scene
I want to bring in Michael Morell the former acting director of the
CIA and the National Security analyst for CBS News and
Mike's thank you I guess I need to ask you first about
Since you are
I've been at the CIA how are adversaries Maybe
Using looking watching at these images
I'm done or it's good to talk to you it's just
Terrible terrible day you know I think there's
There's two things happening overseas
One is what's going through the mind of our adversaries you know the Chinese and the rush
Russians and others
And I think they see this as a significant opportunity right values
Is it in two ways one is they will they will show this to their own people
And they will say this is what democracy brings
So you should actually be happy that we don't live in a democracy
And secondly they'll share it with the rest of the world
With the talking points that this is what the United States is trying to bring the rest of the world
When it talks about spreading democracy
So that's an effort to try to reduce our influence so that's what our adversaries or do
Doing Nora what our friends are doing is wondering what is happening
I received a text earlier today from
I'm a foreign ambassador to the United States who is back in
His capital and he said he was sitting with
His leader
I'm trying to explain what was happening here and he was at a loss for words he couldn't do it
So I think there's there's
There's a sex here on both our our adversaries and on our allies and partners
Do you believe this effort may have been aided by our adversaries
I don't think so Nora I think this was
You made and created here in the United States you know we do know that
The Russians did not play significantly in the 2020 election nowhere near as much as they did
2016 South
Now I'm afraid we we own this one ourselves
Michael is Ed O'Keefe good to talk to the order these weird circumstances I'm curious you
Served two presidents and would have been involved in all sorts of hypothetical exercises tabletop exercises make
Was there ever
Anything like this
Gamed out
Are prepared for
That's a really good question and of all the scenario
Where we talked about risk
Do the United States in Risk to our democracy in
To our country
This was never on the list
You know we never anticipated
Anything anything like this
So now it's simply not not thought about
And how does this
Concern you regarding
All the other potential vulnerabilities that the country faces right now as we near January 20th we know this been concerned about
Example of potential response from Iran after the killing of General suleimani a year ago
Possibly some other kind of
Eventer incident there's the ongoing cyber security breach by Russia National Intelligence agencies who said was
Confident is there any reason to believe that
You know and then there's a pandemic I mean is there any other concerned that now some other foreign adversary could try to
Take full advantage of this
And cause even more pain
Yeah great question at I don't think so
Iranians for example
They are keeping their head down they are trying to get
To abide Administration without any trouble between
Diamond United States right they want they want a nuclear deal again with United States so
I think they're trying to avoid conflict
So I don't think we're going to see anybody try to
Take advantage of this in the short-term
In terms of in terms of
How I would rank is a risk
You know this
What's happening today in our own country is at the top of the list right if
If we can't have a healthy democracy if we can have a strong democracy
Then
Pretty much nothing else
Is possible Right
Target policies not possible good foreign policies not possible of good national security policies not possible
Your strengths as a nation
Uwharrie or national security starts with a strong
Political system in which we're seeing today that that is
That is challenged
Significantly here in the United States
No doubt challenged in at the same time
Michael you would acknowledge it under threat from foreign governments multiple
Foreign adversaries we did have what was a safe and secure presidential election
By all accounts except by the president who continues to argue
That it was rigged I have a
Question for you with someone who
You know spent a career at the CIA about the Power of Words
And at the power of messaging because
Leader McCarthy the top Republican leader in the house and do us he almost sounded desperate that he
Call the president and said he needed to come out and speak for the American people in the president did address in a tape recording that live
He once again said that the election had been fraudulent
And then he said essentially to what we may now call Ahmad they're no longer protesters he said at the end I love you
I just
Under your
On that about denouncing
Because he also told him to come and be wild
And I hope that's not too philosophical of a question but the Power of Words
So it's a great question Nora Eno in my experience and I worked at the agency for 33 years and
There were dozens and dozens of these kinds of situations that I watched it other country
Where where mobs
Of people
Rose up to try to turn over
Legitimately
Decided election Friday wanted to overturn the order
I saw it over and over and over and over again
And
The one of the necessary conditions
For that to happen
Is for a powerful figure to be saying things that motivate
Lowe's
Jose
People who are
Who are rioting right here trying to overturn that order it it takes somebody to motivate them
Michael if I could this Major Garrett understanding that you were not participants in any kind of table
Top exercise to game out a scenario like this but it is nevertheless
Happening it is unfolding before our very eyes you have sat at tables were enormously important consequence
Strategies and decisions were made
Honestly what do you believe are the operational options for the Capitol Police the National Guard and those who are trying to clear
Play the capital and what do you think the next 2 or 3 hours ought to look like what do you fear they might look like
Yeah that's that's a tough question major you know I do think that they need to be
Dispersed they need to be separated
Bread in my experience watching these things overseas
As long as groups
A people stay together
They stayed
Strong right they stay resolute
It's when they break into into very small groups and break into single individuals
Power and they lose that determination so I think breaking them up
Is of extreme importance and keeping them from forming someplace else
I'm as a group have to be a top priority and its final question Michael
All of this against the backdrop of that extraordinary joint
Statement in an op-ed by the 10 former secretaries of defense
An effort that was encouraged by former Defense secretary and Vice President Dick Cheney that the
The military would not get involved
I'm sure you have some inside as that does do I base my own reporting but
It was as if they
Foreshadowed this type of situation the concern that this type of insurrection
May occur and to make clear to lawmakers to the president and also to the Pentagon at the Mill
Military would not be engaged but your sense
So when I first saw what was happening at the Capitol today the 1st
Thought I had was these
Protesters rioters
Friday's mob they wanted to create violet
I'm in the hope that the president would invoke the Insurrection act right and
The United States military to come out
Under the streets
And I think that's what those former Secretary of defense's were worried about
Is the invoking about Insurrection Act
And you know my understanding based on the people I talk to is that
The acting secretary defense is a person who could not be counted on to do the right thing in that moment but
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs general milley what somebody
Who could be counted on to do the right thing
Agreed and it was said to me though however that
Will all of them trusted
Chairman milley that undersecretary Aspera when the president had previously tried to do
Is active-duty troops he was able to slow roll that effort but that in your words as well Michael with
Is acting secretary that would be much more difficult and then in some ways it's the civilian leadership that ultimately
Makes a decision about deploying active-duty troops and as you point out they were all trying to
Prevent what would really be a worst-case scenario
Michael we're always so glad to have you
Thank you so very much
You're welcome. Thank you
Can't let everyone know it is now 5:18 here in the nation's capital and the sun has set
And the protesters remain more than 4 hours we've been live on the air cover
During what is now
A mob on Capitol Hill that has forced a lockdown the House and Senate
How to go out of session after a joint session
I was
Moving forward with the counting of the electoral votes with which the final step to
In the process of naming
President-elect Joe Biden as a present United States we don't use the word certified because the state's certified
Certified certified
It has a very ceremonial role historically it just counted and the vice president played the role of
Reciter not decider and if some have suggested was almost like the person at the Oscars who just read
The results as a result of this mob descending on the capital after being incited by the present
None of the United States his son and Rudy Giuliani
This has led to this extraordinary
Historic & I historic it sounds like a positive or but I don't mean that because we just never witnessed anything
Like this in our life where these
Supporters of the president
Have felt emboldened enough to carry this out and placed the lives
Ivar DC capitol police and law enforcement in danger
To place the lives of lawmakers and danger to place the lives of public servants who engage in the daily active
Legislating
Endanger
We are told by senator Tammy Duckworth and a number of the Senators are all together in a safe and secure
Location
That is smart and quick tacting staffer grabbed
He's beautiful wooden boxes
The contain the electoral votes
And brought them safely insecurity securely to this is them look at this
They are secure
Electoral votes are secure the outcome of this presidential election will not be changed the vice
President who was implored by President Donald Trump doing his word be courageous and change it said I'm not going to do
Do that the Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell who is carried out the will of this president
In almost every way today said we're not going down the death spiral
Changing what is a duly elected president knighted states there was not the wise for type of fraud
That would change the result of this election was extraordinary rebuked by Republican leader Mitch McConnell not only
United States have some of his own Senate colleagues including Ted Cruz including Senator Hawley and
Others who said let's go ahead and challenge this and had those Senators those 13 senators in more than one
Hundred house
Members not done this
And in challenging objected to the count of these electoral votes this would have been the ceremonial usually 20-minute price
Ashes and all would be said and done
And yet at this hour we have what some would call it an embarrassing scene for American democracy
President-elect Joe Biden has said is an attack on the Citadel of democracy
An attack on
The institution of democracy and yet
Our law enforcement now doing their very best job with bull horns and tear gas to disperse this
Crowd because his Senator Duckworth told us her and her colleagues and some of the Senators I know that that
Keep has spoken with amongst his horses they want to continue tonight
There are several
Members of the House are back in their offices across the street from the capitol members of the Senate are all together
And are waiting to sort of figure out where and when and how exactly they might reconvene the
The official word so far is that it
They don't want
To allow them back in the House and Senate chambers until some kind of a major security sweep can occur
Not only inside the building but that they know that outside
The crowd has been controlled
And we
Therefore await some sense of what exactly do squares measure
There's nothing saying they have to do this in the House and Senate chambers
They could decide and we heard from Senator Duckworth earlier
But they might offer
To hold this meeting and some other kind of a conference room doing a very large
Spaces in the Capitol Visitor Center
Where they could
Potentially do this and there are other large committee rooms as well
Let me interrupt you for just a second we have represented Mike Gallagher on the phone Congressman can you hear me please
Highline clear
This Major Garrett I'd like you to tell me what you think of today what you believe what we happening in the next 2 hours
And you believe the house will reconvene to get back to business in Chambers or
In the Ways and Means Committee room later on this evening
Minutes is absolute Insanity I mean this is Banana Republic territory and
It's unacceptable and it's it
You know I think I deposed the objection from the start on constitutional grounds but
I think the fundamental problem that no one wanted to say out loud
Is that the objectors thought that they could have a debate you know raise awareness to voter you do fraud issue
User voting irregularities
Because they wouldn't actually achieved their objective they all knew that they had no chance of actually
Overturning the election
But the problem is they gave a lot of people false hope
A lot of people fired up and now we're seeing the consequences of that
Play out and this is just absolutely unacceptable that the president needs to said to call it off
The people need to stand down I mean this is this is America this is United States capitol
And we're sitting here with our Barb our walls barricade our doors barricaded someone was shot
At the US Capitol the closest thing that I can think of it this reminds me of the time I spent in Iraq in 2007 to two
Is Insurrection to strong the word congressman
The problem is it's like everyone's in a rush to label everyone else Trader
I just want this to
And we have to support the peaceful transition
A power
I mean that that's it we have to accept the fact that the elections over in the more we traffic in the idea that somehow Congress
It's going to overturn the results of the election
We inside dangerous things like that and that's just unacceptable so it's over
Republicans that one sucks I get it but you know there are consequences to going down this road
CBS news thank you again for joining us as you said you're not one of those objectives
Into the results of the Electoral College you are among the Republicans who reluctantly accept these results in
I want to move on
I know you did you made a fair point about not describing titles and and blame and whatnot
But it does seem like your party especially
And your house conference most of all
Is going to have to have a serious conversation with itself
About what it has allowed
To occur today
I just wonder
Whether you think that conversation will happen could happen and what might transpire
Well the conversation is going to have to happen in the next few out and injectors are going to have to ask themselves
Whether they seriously want to persist in their objection
After what they'd seen today
And again knowing that what they're doing has no chance of being successful that it is all
Ascot
That's a pretty cynical Ploy right there a minimum when we get back together or conference
I think we all have to say we're not going to persist in the objection
Fourth epistle transfer of power and we're done perpetuating this fiction that somehow Congress has the authority to over
Overturn the results of the state
Congressman to what degree view been communicated with by leadership about what will happen tonight will you reconvene I've been to
Told that it's possible that the house may reconvene not in the chamber itself but in the Ways and Means Committee room
If that message came down I missed it I haven't gotten that. So you don't have nothing for
Formerly from from leadership right now. I would imagine they're trying to figure it out and all the focusrite
Right now is just on making sure this thing doesn't escalate any further
I'm making sure that the violent protesters disbanded by the curfew but I've not heard anything about
Reconvene
Do you believe it's necessary for Congress to send a message that it get back to business as soon as possible
Yes a hundred percent I think it's necessary for Congress to send the message that we support the peaceful transition of power
And that we has the federal government
Don't have the right
To overturn the will of the states and by extension the American people
That is sort of Schoolhouse Rock Constitution 101
Times when my calendar we thank you so very much for joining us chip Reed I believe is near Capitol Hill and has
Some new information to share with us
Yeah I'm just on Constitution Avenue just out off the outside the Senate
Two things here number one
There were about a group of about 20 media with cameras
Which you are certainly well familiar with just outside at the bottom of the Senate steps
And out of nowhere we were suddenly surrounded by about 40 or 50 protesters
Who started chanting things that I can't repeat about the media on TV
They started throwing bottles they started pushing people they picked up the metal fences that we were surrounded
Surrounded by and throwing them at us
And we for our own safety evacuated the area but we could stay long enough to get some pretty good video
Show of them
Smashing
The equipment of cameras the sound equipment everything they could get their hands on
They just completely took over that
That's that spot as they shouted USA USA and and God bless them
America now just across the street at the Russell Senate Office Building and I just saw
Column
Of I would estimate between 120 and 150 police officers and by the way the capitol grounds and outcomes
Play surrounded by please and there helicopters above and I thought this column of a hundred 2152
Police officers walking three abreast all of them in helmet
And flak jackets walking down Constitution Avenue and turned in the directions of the capitol
Ground you know there is a 6 curfew in Washington say maybe timing some kind of moves
This might suggest that to start clearing the capitol grounds of these protesters
In time for that or sometime in the vicinity of that six
Chip I must ask you were you injured at all in this fracas were any of our colleagues injured and where will the police
Where were the police when did you have any sense of recovery will be around
There were no police around us we were on our own in fact
I remember one of the one of the protesters standing next to me the police
Don't care about you guys there only protecting the Senators you're on your own buddy
And so we we hightailed it out of there they were absolutely ferociously angry at the media I'm a
Picking out some of the media Enterprises by name
And it was it was a scary moment I've got to say
You know I had a flak jacket and helmet with me the last time I wore a flak jacket
And a helmet
Well it's been a lot of time in Iraq and Afghanistan
Do you have to wear a helmet and a flak jacket on the grounds of the United States capitol
Heartbreaking to hear you say that chip I know as someone who's worked on Capitol Hill from
For many years it's sad to see
All this happening at this hour to have to be wearing
Flak jacket and helmet
Not only anywhere in the United States of America but on the united in are near United States capitol
And that's what's happening at this hour
You have law enforcement descending on the US
Capital to try and disperse
This
Crowd from the capital it is nightfall now here in
Washington DC
The mayor of the District of Columbia mayor muriel Bowser has ordered a city
6 p.m. curfew it's my understanding that it has been communicated to protesters
But that curfew will be enforced enforced by arrest it appears
They order use tear gas and other materials I want to bring in Jeff to gays who is right there
On the scene and Jeff
Has that messaging
Had any effect
Slowly but surely I think it is having an effect out here Nora we see a lineup
Police officers in the Rotonda here
Pushing
The crowd of protesters back in
In fact if you look here to my left
You will see that the more the protesters are streaming from this area would suggest that
Police are being more successful
A Better Effort stood to clear this Capital Area
Now that the sun is gone down
Nightfall is coming that time
Perfume that you mentioned
Is fast approaching so their efforts are paying off a little bit more
We see that there are stragglers they're waving their American flag sometimes Jen
A USA USA
It certainly law enforcement as he do today
Picked up the pace in terms of getting
Getting this area cleared
Jeff the gays who is right there just off the West front of the Capitol where two weeks from now
Will be covering
The inauguration
President-elect Joe Biden which is what today was supposed to be about
Really a ceremonial effort in a joint session of Congress to count the electoral votes
And then tens of thousands
Trump supporters
Coming from the White House incited by the president of the United States
And encouraged to incite violence and that's exactly what they carried out there has been violence on Capitol
Oh hell woman shot
Transported to the hospital in critical condition
Additional other we're not clear who they are one person who was trying to climb the walls also fell
And fractured some bones transported a number of injuries reported by
The DC Metro Police who are now on the scenes aided by members of the National Guard we've seen members
Hours of the FBI Elite unit inside the capitol what they're trying to do is we're seeing outside the capital we don't have cameras
Inside with her also trying to do is essentially clear step-by-step inside the capitol
Buy Corridor every office building as well
Lawmakers we spoken with today told us
They want to keep going and I just heard from another Center who says they still don't know when
Where how they might reconvene tonight but they certainly
Want to
Can I think
Front of the Capitol again
With the expansive look at the lawn right there you can see his
Sylvania Avenue
Bitel where exactly that is
Either way what we were conveying with images a little while ago is that while this is an intense crowd
It is not
A large crowd at this point it has begun to thin it appears and
With the exception of what ship read just reported to us a full-on assault of members of the media
On the East Frontier the swampside that's the area just at the foot of the stairs on the Eastside of the capital that area is largely
The empty it appears why all the video shots that we've seen the life
Put it so
It appears what remains at the crowd
Has concentrated to the degree it has on the west front
And I would just point out that for those who were chanting God Bless America and USA USA
That is utterly incompatible with assaulting members of the media
Your First Amendment right to assembly is guaranteed in the Constitution so is the Free Press
And they're not
At all. They're only at odds when you act like criminals as those people who tried to attack chip rebar other colleague
Destroy their equipment did
Just moments ago
It's an excellent point Jenn Lyon
The freedom of them the price
And the freedom to assemble and others wasn't I'm in the First Amendment not the 11th Amendment 1st Amendment 4
Very reason
Which was two at the framers talked about the whole public powerful officials accountable is Madison talked about
Showing you now like pictures
Come on guys go home
You hear the metro police trying as peacefully as possible
Rapid identity
Running this country
Supporters of the president but supporters of Jesus gathered as well concern
Turned about and protesting witches AAA right but this has gone beyond perfecting as is now place the Liza Blanco
Horseman and others in danger as well as the destruction to our federal property and destroy
The work of lawmakers
And diligent public servant who heard nor the audience heard
One of the protesters as he walked away say there's a small criminal class that runs this country
That is an embedded grievance that
Donald Trump did not invent
Let's be honest
But as a candidate and as president he has
22 and suggested is real and is given a sense to this people who held that grievance
But it's real
And he's the only alternative to it
Can we should we should tip our hats to the DC police in Franklinton put up with a lot of this over the past year whether it's
Pro or anti Trump supporters
The black lives matter protest over how this is a police force that has been worn pretty thin and work pretty hard
Dealing with a situation like this across the nation capital update we now have
Nation on that we're being told there are 1100
DC National Guard
That have been mobilized
200
Virginia state troopers in an unknown number of Virginia National Guard that have all been sent to DC
At the marriage request
500 Maryland National Guard and state troopers Montgomery County Police have sent 53 members of their stuff
Special event response team on all-hands-on-deck look at this picture as a capital
Lit up
Bright
Tonight to give law enforcement a clear picture
And to remove those and the reason
Has Alan here Capitol Hill reporter who just spoke with senator manchin
He said to Senator manchin what's the plan for tonight in Senator manchin told Alan he will plan as soon as I get everything
Cleared but we're going to go back and do our business and Alan said in the capital tonight in Senator manchin said
We sure hope so
So will say whatever it takes these thugs are not running us off that
Oh they would be an Institutional imperative to send a signal the Kappa
Not just to Wade law enforcement in the removal of these
Insurrectionist and mob violence
Emitters
But also to look the way it does to be
A Shining Light symbolically and quite genuinely
On Capitol Hill
It is the place that's when you're in Washington
You see from a great distance it is inspiring it's always been inspiring to me
I consider the most beautiful building in America I really do I love to be inside that building
The whole story of America is there in both in art
And an architectural representation
For two reasons
The help law enforcement is going to be a symbol to the country it will endure and those lawmakers want to get back
After that enduring part of it getting back to the work and not being intimidated not being scared away
Buy an angry
Violence and criminal mom
Tobias Mall
It is I agree the most beautiful building in Washington at opposites
Lady Liberty a woman highest point in Washington statue built by slaves
And now I've today we learn
The first black senator from the South will represent
Safina true changing of America
It seems so insignificant but when the day began it was quite significant
That the Democrats won both the sheets in Georgia
There is no Democrat we actually announced that we call that we have right now we have it on the air
I actually did ask a little while ago that we should stay in the moment
That the board yes
That moment about just what happened because this is just
What we're witnessing live mostly should stay but it is
That has eclipsed in some ways what is a significant shift of power
And that's why there was over half a billion dollars spent on those two Senate races because it controls the future of this country
Legislatively
I mean it's the most very extremely powerful which is why
Congress there was chocolate give me the Wall Street that that the markets would tank as a result of Democrats
Took control they did not
But
We are reporting at this hour
And had
Just a few hours ago
But the Democratic candidate for the Senate Jon ossoff who is a thirty-three-year-old documentary filmmaker
Has defeated the incumbent senator
David
Purdue
In what has been now is it about 30.000 votes there
Are we had earlier called in the middle of the night
But for the other Democrat running in that race rev Warnock
Who is the pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church with Martin Luther King
Lunch provided and he
Defeated
The
At the acting Senator about the
Now CBS News projects
The Democrats hold 50 seats United States Senate
As you Republicans
And with the vice president elect a Democrat she would cast the tie-breaking vote which would give
Majority
We want to return now to Capitol Hill and see exactly what's happening there because you see law enforcement trying to disperse Pro
Protesters we are now just 18 minutes away from 6 that is the curfew that has been enacted
By the mayor of the District of Columbia
But she has made clear will be enforced by arrests
I guess is the jails maybe. I give him a number of protesters still
Out there and Kris Van Cleave
Has been in the crowd
Chris tells what you're saying about the efforts to disperse these protesters
What would or were on the Western Front the capital here and you can see it's a much different scene than when we last spoke to you
Lockheed were people here
Capitol Police
Have deployed a series of flash bangs
Some smoke ice people are complaining about pepper spray or tear gas as well that is certainly
Play help thin the numbers of people that are that are out front of the Capitol Theater still
The capital is there continuing to protest but
For all the talk about what what happened inside the capitol today are a lot of the people that gathered out here
Did show
Peacefully they were
Here to protest to be heard and in many of the folks were or Justice
Surprised to hear about what transpired inside the capitol
Is everyone watching at home we have seen and not only Montgomery County Police but I'll order
Number of Fairfax County Virginia police
Coming to the Capital Area here
And moving forces into the area not only from DC but Maryland Virginia
I can talk about that curfew that is coming up here in a few minutes
It's been quite some time since where we are where we've seen any police officer
At least moving up eat in this area I can see some flashing lights in the distance
Most noticeable difference at this point
Certainly the temperature has come down
What is happening outside the capitol
Is
Is it appears to be a peaceful protest
As people are our filing out
Where they go from here is it is an open question DC has a curfew that will go into effect at 6
Certainly people are being encouraged to go home or go back to their hotels
Batata
That remains a bit of an open question where the crowd from here is going
Christine cleaven's you know Das Virginia has been involved in as well Governor Northam
At the request of Alexandria Virginia which is just right across
The river were probably some protesters would be staying I shouldn't a protesters part of this
Mob group now we're calling and husband are staying
They're also imposing a 6 p.m. curfew there as well
And a state of emergency in Virginia so that they can continue to respond
And how
In the nation's capital
And the use of the bullhorns to notify them is to give
Basically
The district and all the police they're the legal authority to say we warned you we warned you repeatedly if you stay here you
You will be arrested
And this will not be a contestable
Municipal
Misdemeanor situation you will be arrested because we are warning you if you stay here
You will be arrested if you disperse you will not be and that's a means
Have the earliest
Most gentle way to try to create crowd dispersal
Warrnambool Cornell repeatedly give them Fair notice
And then see if they withdraw as they withdraw
You begin to create a calmer situation we are beginning to see
That begin to materialize which
I don't want to get ahead of this might be a positive sign on Capitol Hill
Nancy what are you hearing
Congresswoman Debbie Dingell who is a Democrat from Michigan and a close Ally of speaker Pelosi has just
Tweeted that they have been told that the capital is now secure the inside at least and that they should now get back
Back to fulfilling their Duty
A certifying the 2020 election is that is true if the entire Capitol complex
Is now secure that is pretty remarkable because there are
An endless number of corridors and offices and nooks and crannies and hideaways that would need to be checked
To ensure
That there is no one left inside this complex who doesn't belong here I mean
We have been seeing images all day long of
Protesters or mob members whatever you want to call them
Toting out
Podiums
We saw one guy with his feet propped up on Nancy Pelosi's desk
Some people clearly fanned out across the capitol complex but Debbie Dingell
Google is a in a reliable individual who I know you know well as well
And there I can tell you from talking to lawmakers on both sides of the aisle they really do want
To get back to work tonight to finish ratifying these Electoral College results both because they know
I know that this is a job that needs to be completed and because they want to show that Congress is not going to be
Intimidated cowed delayed from doing important work five and under
Unruly mob like this so there is a lot of work going on behind the scenes right now to figure out exact
Exactly where and when they would be able to resume
Safely but 4 hours now
Various lawmakers their ages have just sort of been
Gathering in their offices essentially waiting for more word about what is going to happen next.
One person we haven't heard from a tall is Senate leader Mitch McConnell he has not
Released a statement
He hasn't come out anywhere and spoken on camera since his speech on the senate floor earlier this afternoon
Waiting to hear what he has to say and what house Speaker Nancy Pelosi has to say about
About what's going to happen next for the loudspeaker here in one of the Senate
Office Buildings with little bit hard to make out what it is they're saying they may be wanting individuals about this impending
Curfew but this is the first time we've heard a message like this inside the office building today
Here in the Russell Senate Office Building Nancy which is to the gist of the north of the capital
Hey one question you mention we hadn't heard from leader McConnell
Do we know the whereabouts of speaker Pelosi
And do we have any chance that House and Senate leaders have spoken today but what to do
We have not gotten any information from their AIDS about where exactly they are where they were
Taking initially and where they are now they've given us absolutely no information in fact I haven't even heard back
From leader McConnell's AIDS when I've texted them repeatedly to find out what's going on I've talked to many other
Aides and lawmakers but not McConnell's office itself I think that there's no question that he is
He's pretty busy right now he's both trying to figure out whether and how they can resurrect this
Ratification process safely a but also remember he's got a deal with an interaction with
Within his own party these 13 14 15 Republican Senators who
At least earlier today wanted to challenge the Electoral College result what are they going to do now that they had a
A change of heart are they at least paring back the number of states that they want to challenge its so
These are the kinds of things that he needs to really get a feel for before he can decide what his next move is
We are reaching an important thank you Nancy Cordes we are reaching an important moment we are now just 10 minutes away
From the DC curfew at 6 p.m. which is to be enforced FireRed
You can see the police these pictures now
Pushing back
This mob
Telling them to go
Home Chris Vancleave is right there Chris
The group of people we were talking about you can see here the
Police Pasadena Regency the police here with there riot shields and helmets
Have push the crowd back to the street now
Completely clearing the west lawn of the Capitol protesters are not happy about
To be on the capitol grounds
They see it as public property and that they should be able to be there the police and these look like Fairfax County Virginia
Police uniforms have moved the people back
Trying to get people to go home of course we're just
Minutes away from DC enforcing a curfew
Doesn't sound like all of these folks realize that there's a curfew that's been put into effect either
But tell you you can hear the yelling
Oh that's being directed at the police here and this is
We hadn't seen police in quite some time
It's clear they were massing to move people out
Now we see an awful lot of police officers and these folks are in gas masks there and helmets they've got body armor on
And shields this is a very clear message for folks to disperse
Yeah if people want to compare these images to a foreign country remember them in a foreign country
Most of those protesters have been shot dead by now
America
Law enforcement
In this instance is trying to
Peacefully different people are treated differently
By the police that has been
Witness this year and we've covered those stories but
At this moment you see what is a job
By law enforcement from all around will be call the DMV
Which is DC Maryland Virginia effort
Trying to secure the United States capital so that they can continue
Out with the work of the day
Is Chris are you still there
The Dead
Yes or I'm here
Chris I'm curious
Who are these people out on the streets are and are they predominately out-of-towners are they men or they women or
The Young
Did they come from different parts of the country do we have any sense of that
People we talked to today
From out of town as far away is Montana from West Virginia
One of the people that was walking away from here minute a few minutes ago was asking
Where is the town hall event got a curfew I want to protest at the Town Hall
So you know it also
DC the heavily Democratic Community people that live in Washington DC
Buy large Trump supporter so it doesn't surprise me that you saw people coming
From outside of the area we know that flights into DC last night where where were very full
And that they had a lot of trump supporters on them
All based on video Chinese were posted to Social Media Services a lot of out-of-towners
We saw everything from some very very old to people that have brought their children out here
Everywhere in-between
Apps like
A white a white male crowd
Yeah it was a predominantly white crowd weeks there's a mix of men and women but probably white and I think that's a fair thing
You say about the other crowd today
You know the folks that we talked to which would make the point that they are they said we're good Midwestern folks
To feel like we haven't been heard
An end
They're hoping they're messing with her today and that they wanted
What a woman actually right right about here right before the police got here
And she was questioning who the Bad actors were that actually went into the capital
Cuz she said that doesn't sound like Trump supporters
And she was shaking her head out of 2
We are now just five minutes away
From a curfew in our nation's capital following a day in which a mob has stormed
Our nation's capital
And inflamed all by a angry Trump speech earlier in the day and his supporters we heard
From the president-elect Joe Biden who called on Trump to demand an end to this seeds
President Trump in a videotaped message then said to the crowd go home and we love you and once again repeat
Eating the falsehood
There had been a fraudulent election
A number of
Senators and lawmakers
Bill on Capitol Hill earlier we had heard that they were evacuated
It should be clear we've heard they're still there
They're actually for the most part our understanding
Is that there on Capitol Hill
That they plan to act tonight
To carry out what was the business earlier in the day
And now you can see what an extraordinary picture right there
Law enforcement in front of a lit up
US Capitol
Great end to Chris's point from a moment ago there might be those who will be disbelieving that this was
Trump supporters who stormed the capital it can be stated that it was they draped Trump Flags
On the capitol adorning it as if they were taking it over by some manner of force it strikes me Northern
We ought to pause for a second and remember what the president said at his acceptance speech to the Republican nomination
Standing in front of the White House back in August
He said the Republicans were the party of Law & Order that Democrat if elected to the president and other seats in Congress
What unleash lawlessness in our country and they would
Inflict mob violence
On monuments on sacred Parts the American community and in our streets
Just take that in for a second remember those words from the president he said them he said those were the stakes at least
Eastern part of this presidential election
That Democrats would unleash mobs that would attack our most sacred values institutions and
And streets of our country he didn't say it once he said it more than once
One other point I think you were beginning to allude to it
All of us have covered and one dimension or another the new quest for social justice in this country in the sense of something
* the application of police force is disproportionate and affects people of color differently
People that I've gotten to know in that community of texted me today
Saying to me
Major
If this
Crew
This assemblage was all people of color
And doing exactly the same thing
They would have been treated manifestly differently and it would have been much uglier
Take note absolutely social media
Because a lot of this weekend up on social media
But another Corner social media today where these people don't go
There are a lot of people saying that
If this even had a hint
Add diversity to it
It would have been handled differently cuz overwhelmingly
All day folks
This is a profoundly white crowd in there are people across the country who are observing this and thinking
It might have gone a little different true or not it's an emotion that I think
Based on what you seen what's been texted to me
Has to be regarded as real and part of this fabric strain and stress in this country
The police chief of Washington DC says that these pro-trump mob has deployed
Chemical irritants on police
They did earlier in the day in order to break into the United States capitol
They had declared the scene a riot after one person a woman was shot inside the cap
Capital short time ago he said he said the 13 arrests have been made all people from outside
The area
And the mayor of the District of Columbia Muriel Bowser has said the behaviour of those on the capitol hill with a chainsaw
Unpatriotic and above all unlawful and that this Behavior will not be tolerated
Serrated
And there you hear law enforcement now
Essentially clearing the West front and East front of the Capitol lawmakers
On Capitol Hill I've been told that the capital is now secure
The curfew now just 2 minutes away in the District of Columbia
And as you can see the heavy police
And
Ambulance presence on Capitol Hill
We can expect now and I'm curious what's happening inside the control center that is directing
All of this law enforcement about how strict they will be in terms of
Arrest
Describe will now disperse into the district which has ban indoor dining you cannot go inside a bar
And have a cocktail
That's just not permitted because
The first time now we're Dimension this there is a pandemic raging across America
He has not been one of the worst places because it has enforced a very strict mask mandate policy
And of course is not allowed is now under a policy of no indoor dining and then
A little news from congressional leadership a lot of the
Clamoring to reconvene this come from rank-and-file Members throughout the day but not the leaders who set the agenda
Senator McConnell
Republican leader
He's encouraging fellow senators
They will resume tonight at some point in order to
Bioprotect strength after what went on today and
Congressman Jim Clyburn the House Majority Whip
Don't counter for house Democrats says that they will
Resume tonight continue the business of he uses the incorrect word certifying the Electoral College votes
Run the floor that they will reconvene you know and I'm just
I'm a gobsmack now reading the day statement by former President George W Bush was just put out of Satan's
This is how election results are disputed in a Banana Republic
Not our Democratic Republic
I am appalled
By The Reckless Behavior of some political leaders since the election
And by the lack of respect shown today
4r
Institutions
Appalled by The Reckless Behavior of some political leaders
That is a rebuke of Senator Ted Cruz
That's a rebuke
Senator Hawley am I incorrect in Reading at that way I just think that
And if I remember how can I do for the current office holders should also be noted
That
President George former President George W bush yesterday put out a statement that he would be attending the enough
Inauguration of president-elect Joe Biden a signal that
He believes a peaceful transition of power should occur he does not put any weight into these
Baseless charges of either election fraud or rigging.
Witnessing the peaceful transfer of power in America never grows old
Simulator that statement he says to those were disappointed in the results of the election or country is more important than the pilot
Books of the moment
Let the officials elected by the people fulfill their duties and represent our voices in peace and safety
May God continue to bless United States of America from the former president
Echo something that Mike Gallagher told us just a little while ago that
It was his opinion
Republican member of the house
Some of his colleagues
Thought they were just playing with small kindling but this really wouldn't go anywhere
And that they were just associating themselves
With a sense of anger in the country
And mistrust of the election but they were essentially
Using
Procedural blanks it wasn't live ammo
And his point is actually it was and you should have known better
And not only were you in cautious but you are partially to blame for that which we have seen play out
United States capital quite obviously
A set of circumstances none of us
In our wildest
And darkest imaginings could have imagined
One of the
One of those teams that we saw today
Was
Not only members of the house but members of the seven
Send it
On their knees
With
Gas masks on
With bags over their heads
And they watched
Capitol Police
Guns drawn trying to push back
Protesters
On the phone is Congressman
Congresswoman Susan Wild
She is a Democrat from Pennsylvania
And
Congresswoman
Tell us what today was like for you
It was very emotional and difficult day still is
Possibly the most craziest thing that I've ever gone through in my lifetime
And it was
A day that cut
Well
Last in our memories for a very long time
Deeply afraid for
What it means for the future of our democracy
What did you witness
I was seated in the house gallery while the Arizona objectors were being heard
As a member of the Pennsylvania delegation we were scheduled
Cabarrus actions and responses hardneck simos planning
Easter that sorry
Open the gallery waiting
We're all on pretty high alert because we were aware of the protest outside and
Things started to get very very
Ramped-up at one point there was commotion out the hallway outside of the gallery
And the capitol police came in and started locking Us in barricading the door
Obviously that was a very frightening intense
Situations that speaker of the house
In a few other leadership were removed from the house or
Somebody came I think somebody from
Sergeant at Arms team over the microphone and told people to look under their chairs or gas mask
Under there which we did and then we were told to sit and be quiet
Sometime I don't have any concept of how long and then
But when we were told to evacuate
And because of where I was in the gallery recently evacuate through one door which was clear on the other side
The house score
And so
Write about
50 or 20 other members
For among the last
And then all the sudden evacuate anymore they say barricaded the doors
The recruiters again in the hallway
And the next thing I knew there was
Glass breaking and shots being fired and we were
And then I don't know how long that lasted I honestly don't remember
And then at some point
They were able to secure enough
The call way again and we were able to evacuate
Where did you stay securely after all of this happen
Well I'm still where we were taking but we're not at Liberty to disclose Where We Are
1
Location
And we've been here ever since
We are evacuated
And all of you were packed in there together
Yes
Are you concerned
About
Coronavirus
Very much so it's what I would call it covid
Event about half of the room are not wearing masks
Even though
Surgical mask
Who are these people
People from the other slip from the Republican delegation.
Remember
From this little freshman this year
Openly flaunting that they will not wear a mask or refusing to put a mask on
And just as a reminder congressmen are all members of Congress required to be tested
We're not required to become available
Every day that Congress is in session
And most of us take advantage of that at least when we first
Gets DC and before we go back to our respective District
So you predict a number of lawmakers
Macon track coronavirus after this
I'm not I'm not going to protect anything but
Exactly the kind of situation that were controlled by the
Backup doctor
Close proximity
We weren't even allowed to get together with our families for Thanksgiving and Christmas
And now we're in the room with people
What is the roles and
Crap very much crowded in here
I'm sorry to hear that Congressman I hope that you are able to
Stay safe
I must ask you
We've heard now from the former President George W bush who has called
This mob attack on the capital
An insurrection
You know he didn't even call it disgraceful he rebuked The Reckless Behavior he said of
Lawmakers
Who engaged in these objections
How would you characterize
What happened today
I have the current that because we don't have access to
But I am glad to hear that
President Bush has agree with him
I think
Frankly we've been told that we are going to go back either the house floor or some other location
In the near future and meeting today
Resume the business at hand of approving the electors
Ebony ejectors withdraw their objections but I'm quite certain
And it will probably be here late into the evening or the early morning hours
Wally finish the business at hand
Absolutely
Congressman Susan wild of Pennsylvania
Thank you for joining us send
As describing how number of lawmakers are all packed in together at what she called a potential super spreader
Aventiv coronavirus with Republican lawmakers not wearing masks
Has all of them wait to take the next step and potentially
Fulfill the duties
Other outlined within us law about counting the electoral votes
We should once again just let everyone know that the DC curfew is now in effect
The
The law enforcement
Has
Enforced the
Securing of the United States capitol
You can see law enforcement has cleared the West front of the capitol
They've been told it inside the capitol is secure and yet the lawmakers are still
Secluded in Kelton this secure area
The Republican Senate objectors are those that we're planning to inject today are now meeting
Separate from the rest of the Senate they were being held in a holding room
We were getting cool reports a reporter to split up to monitor the place and one of them tells us
Senators
Braun of Indiana Deanna Cruz of Texas Josh Hawley of Missouri and others
Are meeting in a separate room together outside of the larger room for the rest of the sentence being held
These are the folks that have to signal to the rest of the Senate alfaran to what extent they want to take the injection what they're in
Intentions are in and we'll see whether they give us some sense of a
Pass forward that would help hasten things or give us a sense this could still take a while
Former President George W bush who said he is a poll by The Reckless Behavior of some political leaders since
The election and by the lack of respect shown today for institutions are conditions and our law enforcement
Melissa congressionally-mandated meeting of Congress
And that it should move forward not be
Be inflamed by falsehoods and false hopes in his words
So the Senators that Ed just prefer to have a very big decision to make
Because if
They cease objecting to any state Arizona any future state
Then the objection heard from a House member
He's not carry-forward there is no debate it is rule out of order
That has happened before that affect the last time it happened
Former Vice President Biden was the one to gavel those objections from Democrats from the house floor out of order because they were not
Endorsed or seconded by a senator if the Senators withdraw
And basically say you know what
We're not going to objectivist then this process
On the
Procedures laid out under law
Would not go forward in any robust way house members would object
They would be ruled out of order they would be no two hours of debate for each chamber
This process would move
Much more as it has in the past
It is an enormous consequential moment for these senators
Because
If they continue with this they have to explain on what basis are they continuing to abject
And in any way shape or form are they feeling
That which we saw play out
Unimaginably in grotesquely in the Capitol but they don't do something at this
If they don't follow through with at least some of these people come right back tonight and try to do it again
Can be part of the calculation potentially there is a way to describe what would be happening
We thought about this
We would now say that it
As fueled something that we consider to be out of control and uncontrollable we are going to stick with the Constitution we at
Ask you to do the same and if you don't
You will be in violation of the law and the spirit
Anomaly federalism and constitutionalism
And we essentially
Because of your actions
Are withdrawn
That is one option for them
As you quite accurately point out add another political option is to say
No we're going to continue this but don't be as aggressive
Do you think
And does anyone at this table think that puts the genie
Anywhere closer back in the bottle
I have my doubts
And we have some breaking news and some sad news
To share with you
CBS News has learned that the woman who was shot earlier inside the capitol has died
Her law enforcement
But it is not clear who that woman is but we showed you that disturbing video earlier
But she has sadly
Cast and so
This
Violent mob that has led to a confrontation with
Law enforcement in capital please
Has led to at least one death
Multiple arrests and also multiple others
Transported to hospitals for
A number of different injuries that we have that
Update for you at this hour
There's also because of what has happened in this seriousness
What has happened
Former
President George W Bush saying it's more like what happens in a Banana Republic not a Democratic Republic
There are now calls
For vice president Pence to invoke the 25th
Amendment
Even though there are just two weeks left
In President Trump's term
I want to bring in David Becker our election law expert
To explain what
That means and why those calls are taking place David
Well I think their calls are understandable given right now there might be questions about whether the president is fit to remain
An office during the next two weeks
Given its incitement to violence is on his inability to really
The Stoke the
The Grievances that he's been soaking for so long
But how the 25th Amendment would work is if it's deemed by the Vice President and majority of the cabinet
That the president does not able to fulfill his duties
They then
Send a letter to Congress and the vice president becomes acting president for a. Of time until
They withdraw the letter or the presidents
Send another letter saying I actually can fulfill my duties
Then the vice president and the majority of the cabinet could again send a letter
Making their case for him to be with
It removed from office that's one possibility of course
I think we've also seen some calls and I'm from members of Congress
To impeach the president again
And of course that can happen at any time you could be impeached and then if the impeach articles of
Teach me to pass by the house
The trial would go to the Senate trial in the Senate could be very very quick as well those are
Those are two options given the circumstances we now see whether that's the right way to go I think it is a really open
Question right now
But what we've seen today is
One of the most shameful episodes in modern American history so it's understandable
I also asked you David too because there's also
Some critics today
Companies like Twitter and Facebook
And saying that those social media companies have failed to prevent the misinformation the spread of misinformation
That has led to this
Chaos
And this
Insurrection today
Yeah that's a great Point Nora this is we no longer share a common reality
We have what we know is fact which is that this was the most secure transparent scrutinized election we've ever
Held in American history
The highest turnout we've ever had
And yet
On this on issues like vaccines and covid
And
International relations and so many other issues we no longer share a common reality and certainly social media plays a role in
There's going to need to be a very long conversation
Tommy needs to be bipartisan
And it's not going to be solved right away about how
Disinformation
How social media
And even perhaps how mental health issues
All play into this interviews issues right now
To get people riled up like this over an election that was so successful were so many people participated
To the point
Were they would storm the capitol
A woman has died tonight
This should cause some serious soul-searching
And we should point out that these calls for
Possibly invoking the 20th Amendment are just coming from Liberal Democratic lawmakers but among other group
The National Association of Manufacturers a major business group in this statement
President Pence who was evacuated from the capitol should seriously consider working with the cabin to invoke the 25th Amendment to preserve democracy
This is not the vision of America that manufactures believe in and work so hard to defend
Across America today millions of manufacturing workers are helping her Nationwide the deadly pandemic that's already taken hundreds of thousands alive
Try to rebuild the Economy Inn
They in their belief
Distracting
These are these are people who are at the core
Of the manufacturing part of America historic economic backbone and they see
A general sense of unease instability and unpredictability about the future of the US economy
End
That is an extraordinary statement
From them
To say this needs to be thought about in serious ways
An Impulse replacement coming from people that Johanna Omar the
Minnesota congresswoman but
It was that it was
He is the manufacturer saying this naproxen entry
To our attention we also now heard from the acting Secretary of Defense
Chris Miller who has put out a statement saying that along with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
General milley the Facebook together with the vice president speaker Pelosi leader McConnell Senator Schumer
About the situation on the Capitol and activated the DC National Guard
Justice Federal
And local local law enforcement
I can see that you know major where I'm going with this is that
Notably absent
From this is the president.
That is why not
Illustrating
The decision made
By the Vice President
On this
And that is an exercise
Of
Power
2
Enlarge the law enforcement presents to quell this uprising
The senior-most member of the Trump Administration to ratify that was the vice president
That
Gets us
A little bit farther down the road operationally to this conversation we were just having about who's exercising power
The vice-president just exercised power in consultation with the bipartisan leadership
Of the United States Congress
Emma Chamberlain Joint Chiefs of Staff
Azrael is George W bush both called this an insurrection
And an Insurrection usually involve more organization and Military planning than this
But there was planning I looked on the website of this organization to stop
2cl to bring this protest which was organized primarily by
Women for Trump
Is the primary organizing
Avenue among many others I imagine that just a fundraising vehicle for that particular
Accrue
It was organized rally with a full speech planned at 11 by the president
And as well as other supporters and a National Park permit is well and then they marched up the street and somebody had to bring along that large
Trump Banner that was hanging briefing from the West front of the Capitol so clearly was organized
Who is being pushed back
Along with others I wonder Chris
Are you stable to hear us and describe
What happened
Call Nora
You know we are past the point where the key was gone into a fax and now this is
DC police largely that are moving people back
It's been similar to what we have seen in past protests here in DC
Where
The wrong line
Don't abandon you'll start hearing move back move back Anil establish a new line of new perimeter life
And here we go here we got more more move back and that's
That's what's Happening Here is the police are walking people away from the capital
Come on back here further back from the capital
Pretty commonplace in DC where there's a demonstration in DC police need to move people around you know
It's basically everyday of the week there's somebody yelling at a building in Washington so this
Exactly what the DC police know how to do they do it very well and they are they are moving the trumpster
Borders
Maps you can see there are still some of the trunk flags and things up ahead here that were
We're walking towards as we're being a
Big moves along by the DC police and where are you right now
So we are
We're right at 1st and Moody person Delaware or so right by the reflecting pond
The West front of the Capitol to the Capitol
Still pretty close to the Capitol but certainly backed off of the perimeter no doubt yes
Absolutely in a crowd has gotten smaller nor I think that's important to note the DC National Guard
Are on scene here we have people in military uniforms with shields that are part of this
Enforcement action that's pushing these demonstrators back
Closer further away from the capital where we're walking towards
The National Mall now and the Native American Museum
It has certainly been a remarkable day here
You know you was
It was quite a sight when we heard thinking back on this universe we got out here
It was it was a big rally and then we got down to the West Front
We were looking at people's scaling the scaffolding
The area where the inauguration will be
Breaching the capital
And we know that they want people got inside that turned deadly where a woman lost her life after being shot inside the Capitol in
Just some remarkable images
Capitol Police barricading the house chamber
And I with their guns drawn
As people were apparently attempting to get inside the house chamber where members of Congress were working
You know what an idiot has continued
Infowars now
I want your attention there's a pretty sorry
Will the DC curfew is now in effect until 6 a.m.
And as law enforcement is pushing back those protesters
Is any indication that they're saying that if you don't disperse now you will be arrested
They have not I have not heard that you will be arrested
Warning yet what we've seen over the summer when DC's curfew is in effect cuz you would have an effort
To push the crowd that push the crowd back to get people to disperse
And then you'll end up with the sort of a core group of hangers-on that's then when he would start to hear the police a few
Don't disperse you will be arrested they normally give that warning
Two or three times before they move in and make the arrest so far I have not heard that announcement just a lot of
Officers with shields and things witches
Pretty good incentive to move
So and so far that's what you're doing you're pushing the crowd back towards Pennsylvania Avenue back towards the White House very slowly
Chris and please thank you for your excellent reporting and right there on the ground and what is clearly
A dangerous and developing situation so thank you Chris for that as he is being of course despair
Who are out there and is trying to
I'll let us know exactly what is happening we had part of this conversation about leadership
And the
And the Democratic and Republican leader in the house having to call the White House and say mr. president you need to address
You need to make the send you need to make the stop and then the president responding
With what some would call a confusing taped message in which he actually praised some of the reporters and then told them
Paciugo
Home
We've now had the acting Secretary of Defense
Put out a statement that leaves out the president knighted states saying about
Bringing in the National Guard
And now Ed we've heard from the president's National Security advisor
Robert O'Brien
Who has also tweeted out a statement
It was of course a principal advisor to the president of the United States in the white house if you've ever
National Security advisor just right there by
How far from the from the Oval Office and end
He's actually put out a few different statements here
He said I spoke with vice president Pence he's a genuinely fine and decent man he exhibited courage today
As he did at the Capitol on 9/11 is a congressman I am proud to serve with him
In a later tweet
White House National Security adviser who reports to the president said
I have spoken with members of the Senate
They want to return to America Senate chamber and conduct the people's business this desire is in the finest tradition of our
Republic
God bless the Congress
Why
This is notable is because
Conversations are no
No longer involving the president United States about managing
And defusing the situation there is no other conclusion you can come to from the statement from the acting Secretary of Defense
And now the National Security advisor
The conversations
Within the
Highest level of the executive branch are not being conducted by the president
To deal with this situation
To resolve it to be escalated into let the Congress get back
To its appointed legal
Business
That is significant they are implications only
But they are
Quite clear
Quite clear and it's it's worth I think noting saving just released by Center
Romney of Utah this goes to our conversation Moana go at about these
Senators like Ted Cruz Josh Hawley and others who may want to continue to object
I'll read directly from Senator Romney statement I asked my colleagues
Do we weigh our own political fortunes
More heavily than we weigh the strength of our Republic
The strength of our democracy
And the cause of freedom
What is the weight of personal acclaim
Compared to the weight
Subconscious
Let me
Convey something a little more
Urgent
The speaker of the house is just conveyed to her colleagues in a letter
In consultation with
The hospitality leader steny Hoyer the husbandry with Jim Clyburn
And this is notable
After calls to the Pentagon the justice department and the vice president
Speaker says we have decided we should proceed tonight at the Capitol
Once it is cleared for use
Wiederhorn will be sending out more guidance later today so the headline there is the house will resume
Consideration of electoral college results tonight
According to the house speaker
Who said she's consulted with her colleagues
With the Pentagon with the justice department and notably the vice president who of course today
Is serving as the provider not the decider
And leave the Senate ceremoniously so
That is a signal
Didn't happen she has today January 6th the Feast of the Epiphany
Let us pray that this instigation to violence will provide an epiphany for our country to heal
And she are just members of staff to stay at the complex until the US Capitol Police tell him it's safe to move on
This is the Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi this responsibility would take us into the night
Tonight may still be long but we are hopeful for a shorter agenda
But our purpose will be accomplished that is a suggestion
That the number of states that might be objected to is narrowing or will be narrowed
And that this will be accomplished more rapidly than originally contemplated
Tarot reading of that it seems to me
All right hand
We're witnessing now at this hour the efforts by law enforcement
To remove the mob from Capitol Hill to get them to disperse
Has the DC capitol
Is still under lockdown but is secure at this hour
And both
President-elect Joe Biden and
George W bush calling this on insurrection
And it is 6:30 in the East 3:30 in the west and for those of you who are just joining us this is a
Special Report
Are the CBS Evening News we are witnessing history in what can only be described as a national disc
Grace as we come on the air the u.s. capital is under lockdown after violent mobs stoked and incurred
By the words of President Trump and his allies stormed the building while the House and Senate were in session
They were meeting to count the votes
The Electoral
College
Supporters of President Trump carrying flags with his name on them broke down doors smashed window
And attacked police some briefly invaded the Senate chamber
At this hour at least one person has died others have been injured
And at least two suspected explosive devices have been disabled
All of this because President Trump has refused to accept that he lost the election
And has falsely told his supporters that it was stolen from him
The process to count the Electoral ballot has been halted
Right now Washington DC
He's under a mandatory curfew and police and the National Guard are trying to restore
Order it has been an extraordinary day
Congressional leaders have pleaded for President Trump to call off the protesters
Late today he did tweet a video
Which he repeated his false claims that the election was stolen from him
Nicole's On protesters to go home
President-elect Biden also spoke
And actually spoke before the president of the United States saying that our democracy is under unprecedented
Assault
He also said America is so much better than this
At this moment we are told that the Capitol building has
Been secured and the counting of electoral votes may continue later tonight
We have a team covering all of this
Want to go back to CVS and Chris Van Cleave who is just outside the capital and has been amidst it all
All day good evening Chris
Remaining are squaring off with a line of police
National Guard in the street outside of the capital
This is a much calmer seen than earlier today and I think we need a backup
Demonstrators among the tens of thousands of people are outside the capitol
Climbed onto the scaffolding and then were able to breach
The Capitol building itself
That escalated what had been a peaceful demonstration into something we hadn't seen in American history really
We can show you some video
People breached Capital once inside
There was a shooting a wee understanding a woman has died there also some striking photos as
Both both both houses of Congress were in session the house and the Senate the vice president was there multiple people
In the line of succession
In the building
Both houses of Congress to be lockdown Capitol Police had their guns out directed at the doors
As people outside attempted to get inside we washed as members of Congress were of that
Actuated one in a gas mask
Listen to what David trone representative from Maryland a Democrat had to say
It was time to move fast
And everybody moves very quickly very orderly
Out the doors in the elevators
Into the tunnels
Then we got riding around so we can secure location
Ocean bottles of water and we're waiting for directions
We have seen
I've seen tear gas and pepper spray
All right now when you're speaking with DC is under a curfew
Wheatley's people are violating the DC curfew they have not been told to go home yet but the Capitol Police the
Arlington Police the DC police and National Guard
I've been moving them further and further away from the capital
We are now standing
In the street about a block-and-a-half from the capitol where the remaining demonstrators
Are lined up facing police in riot gear Nora
Kris Van Cleave I missed it all
An extraordinary day on Capitol Hill CVS is Nancy Cortez covers Congress where she was inside
The capital when the mobs began storming in and I understand Nancy we have just heard
The breaking news from the Speaker of the House
That's right house Speaker Nancy Pelosi has sent a letter to her colleagues
Arguing that she thinks it's time to get back to the work that was interrupted earlier today when the Kappa
Battle was breached she says in this letter that she has consulted with other leaders along with the Pentagon.
Justice department and the vice-president and that she has decided that they should proceed tonight at the Capitol
Once it is cleared for use
And we should be getting more guidance
Later today about where this will take place will look will go back to being in the house chamber or some other
Location will the vice president come back to Capitol Hill because he's an integral part of this process
Ratify ratifying the Electoral College votes and confirming that
President-elect Joe Biden was indeed
The winner and will be sworn in on January 20th
This was
A very frightening day for lawmakers who normally feel incredibly
Secure in this building that has multiple layers of security but this is what it look
Look like today this is the first time that the US capital has been breached in more than two
Hundred
Years Nora
The War of 1812 when it was set Ablaze infamously by the British and perhaps most frightening
The House and Senate chambers were lockdown
Once the mob got inside to keep the members who were inside the chamber safe and yet
Protesters managed to get into the Senate chamber anyway and they nearly got into the house chamber there was a
Standoff with police and we even saw one protester who made it into the office
Of house Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Some of these lawmakers who were sent to secure areas to shelter-in-place for hours or still there
Some of them have sent out essentially proof-of-life videos to tell there
Friends of their constituents that they are okay others urged President Trump to come out more forcefully and denounce
This Crowd
Take a listen to what they had to say in their own words
We were just told that there has been tear-gassed
In the Rotunda and we're being instructed to each of us get gas mask that are under
Seats this is Banana Republic crap
Mr. president
You have got to stop time
A proud of America but I'm not proud of this it's extremely disturbing
It's not what you'd expect
In the great country of America
One big question tonight will the Republican lawmakers who have been gearing up to challenge
The Electoral College result in multiple States back down now that we have seen so much
Rest today we know that those lawmakers have been meeting to discuss this whether they're going to back down entirely or
Perhaps hair back the number of states that they want to challenge and we won't know exactly what's going to have
Next Nora when they're going to resume until those lawmakers have made their decision and conveyed it to the house speaker
And to the Senate's Republican leader Mitch McConnell
You describe how lawmakers almost fearful for their lives for their safety on Capitol Hill
To see the sergeant of arms directing the Capitol Police
The guns drawn to protect
The house floor there
And hearing from senator Tammy Duckworth today that a quick-thinking Aid
Decided to gather
The electoral votes
Which now I understand are in that secure location with the lawmakers
That's right and so if this process resume again tonight they will continue going over
Over those
It's for certification documents and one-by-one confirming
That either Joe Biden or Donald Trump won various States and in counting up those votes
Who are this is normally a routine process for years ago it lasted 35 minutes
And the person who was presiding
That at that time four years ago was none other than Vice President Joe Biden with Democrats tried to challenge
The results like Republicans did today
He shut it down so the debate is over
The race is over
The time for debate has passed obviously
These Republican lawmakers are getting a very different message from President Trump
Who says that the race isn't over at all and that in fact
He won in a landslide despite
All the evidence to the contrary
Alright Nancy Cordes on Capitol Hill with some extraordinary reporting thank you one of bringing Major Garrett
And Ed O'Keefe and
Major
We heard from president-elect Joe Biden
When there was a vacuum in leadership
When all we could see in the country in the world can see
Was a mob riot
Scaling the walls
The Citadel of Liberty the United States capital it was a president like Joe Biden who address the nation
To say that this isn't unprecedented assault
On democracy
Correct and he said the president's words matter
Bad president or good president
Always the word matter they can Inspire or they can inside
And let us be absolutely clear
The linkage between the president of the United States Donald Trump
And this violence this grotesque Lala spectacle
United States Capitol is direct
There is no ambiguity about that the president mere moments before this happened
Said in a speech to these very people
That the election was stolen
And that they had to do something about it
And the warm-up speakers would even farther than that so
The connective tissue
Between the president's rhetoric is attitude about this election is repeated falsehoods about what did happen when
It was the most scrutinized transparent
And well-conducted election American history
Has created not just the atmosphere but the motive and the intention
The play doubt
So malignantly
United States Capitol today
You know it there been instances like this at the capital in recent years there was a
Shooting situation in 2013 there was a shooting at the baseball practice in 2017 involving many members
But never before has Nancy said
In the Modern Age had we seen something quite like this perhaps just that 1998 shooting involving two officer
And never doing such an important moment
In the transition of power and a 10-4 merican democracy this is supposed to be the Capstone
Of the 2020 election this was it this is the official finale
And what a way for it to end
And I think it's somewhat
It's terrifying it's it's disappointing it's heartbreaking heartbreaking is the what I've heard over and over again today
Democrats Republicans
From people checking in across the country who are just learning of what was going on
We just heartbreaking we started this day talking about what was in some ways a civil war going on within the Republic
Compartir
Because
That bitterness
That division that has been apparent in Georgia led the party to lose to Senate seats
Icds news has now declared that the Democrats won both of those Senate runoff
Handing the Democratic Party
50 seats in the United States Senate
It will allow Kamala Harris
To be the tiebreaker
That is an enormous
Legislative implications
At his appointees
It was what conservatives what Wall Street business Executives weren't so threatened by worried about
All that now Democrat essentially control
The house
The Senate
The presidency
And that really changes so much about this town
And yet
The blame being placed on the president United States
And some lawmakers are deciding to stick with him and then others
Deciding the end of the Trump era who spent much of the last divisions within the Democratic
Ideological
Stylistic generational
Gender racial
Nothing
As profound is this
There is a total cleavage now in the Republican party because
This was such a profound demonstration of anti-democratic behavior today
At the Capitol with the World Watcher
And I just I wonder now what on Earth the Republican conversation is like there will be some
Serious conversation official conversation a republican because they're supposed to be meeting this week in Florida
For their winter meeting to figure out party leadership
And how you move off
This current cycle into the next ones and you just wonder if those conversations can even continue
It's come through here
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer telling reporters a little while ago
When asked what's next you said 8
Not entirely clear but that would suggest that perhaps going to go back into session in the senate about an hour and 20 minutes all right and part of that
Jefferson and the capital will be secured by the National Guard
CBS News has reported that the Army is activating the entire
District of Columbia National Guard 11
Hundred troops
In response to this request
From
Mayor Bowser that being announced from the Pentagon the acting secretary
Noting that that was made in consultation with the vice president and leaders of Congress notably absent from that
Conversation with President Trump which has raised eyebrows but it looks now like this is going to move
On the capitol there's still a lot of activity on the streets of DC despite the fact that the curfew has been in place for some
I'm 45 minutes now so let's bring in CBS News chief justice and Homeland Security correspondent Jeff the gays
I know you've been there all day what have you learned from talking to people in the crowd
Most of the people have cleared the scene and that is good news obviously for the National car that is
Set up your behind me
Keeping the crowd that is left back from the capital but
Since early this morning President Trump supporters have gathered
In DC they walk down constitutional
Constitution Avenue to the ellipse where
President Trump had told them for this rally today
Law enforcement here in DC Homeland Security officials expect
Tens of thousands of people
This was a massive crowd and it filled the ellipse
Andaz majorette alluded to that were speeches including Rudy Giuliani who
Talk about Trial by Combat and there were other
A word
That inspired This Crowd
The water this Capital today and that's exactly what they did even as President Trump was in the middle
Speech we saw people turning and walking away and heading toward the capitol last one woman
Where you going and she said
I'm heading toward the capitol the speech has inspired me and so once we got here to the cap
Capital you heard
People encouraging
Supporters storm the capitol
There was a woman with a bullhorn
Who was telling people to do just that
Excuse me what
And so I confronted her I was asking her
Why she was encouraging people to
The breach the Capital One law enforcement at a point
They were trying to keep people back
But she was telling people we have a job to do and she was among
A group of people here
Intent on reaching this Capital today but as I said
Enforcement right now the situation
Situation under control with
Moving in
Including the National Guard
And they are behind us right now keeping order on the streets
Asbestos
Curfew is set in
Laura
Get the gays
Thank you so much and
Want to bring anatoki sand Major Garrett because
What we saw today
Was an extraordinary extraordinary effort to try and delay
Or actually for what was a process it was too
Take place
Within a matter of hours and now speaker plus he says he know we were planning to do it tonight and we're still going to do it tonight to send a message
Was going to happen no matter what was the tweet from Senator Jeff Merkley the Democrat from Oregon talking about the preservation
Quick minded and quick-witted
Preservation of the electoral vote and the envelopes in which they were sent to the
Capital
He said his tweet if they had not been preserved the mob would have burned them
So let's be clear about what this is an attempted mob rule to not only intimidate
United States Congress
But from the perspective of democratic member of the Senate with the intent to burn the evidence
I'll be duly conducted presidential election this country
With the intent
Purpose to nullify its results
That is what we're talkin about here that's the consequence
We are
At least imagining
If this thing had gone to the next level
The level it achieve is already
Repugnant and repellent in our history
But it could have been worse and from this Senators tweet
Much worse than any of us could have theorize
Even
6 hours ago copies of these results but this symbolism of having done that would have been profound
And clearly placated
Make 6 copies for reason
Panda
You know but the symbolism would have been terrible
And
Kudos to that quick-thinking and who you know who's already employee of the year
Is president for not being courageous enough
To uphold what he wants him to do which is nullify the election exercising power
Can't do the Constitution and federal law does not possess
Talking about a cleavage within the Republican party it exists in The West Wing
It exists in the line of succession in the fact that we've seen some Trump administ
Station officials put out statements in coordination with
Congressional leaders speaking of the vice president. The president
They may have been also two weeks until the presidential
Inauguration of Joe Biden is the 46th president of the United States that was set to take
Take place on the west front of the capitol
In the era of coronavirus so it or even a sparsely attended
And today we saw that mob essentially take the seats there
As a symbolic effort and hang the flag
Trump2020 there that has since been removed and the process will move forward
But we did see a moment of presidential leadership today because will President Trump
Was was doing something
We saw president like Joe Biden come forward
Live in address the nation calling this a disgraceful
Insurrection listen
This is not the
It's just shorter
It's chaos
It borders on sedition
Now
And a strong message there from the president-elect in
You mentioned this major he talked about words being and very important that in some cases they can Inspire and worst-case
They can inside
And there are both calls from Republican and Democratic lawmakers laying the blame squarely on the
President United States and his supporters including Rudy Giuliani and his son Don Jr for inciting this violence
And then only after watching the fruition of their word their marching orders take effect did they try and tweet
Trying to bring it all back
We meant the election was stolen we meant something needed to be done about it but we didn't mean this
What do you think Trump supporters who carried out this action today
Understood or even ponder that distinction at any level
Obvious answer to that is no
And when you play with rhetorical fire you will be burned
And many many people in this country have said
For months if not years
That is rhetoric
Is incendiary and it will get out of control
We saw a manifestation of that
Today
All I keep thinking is
The message of items been delivering or last two years has been remarkably consistent
Words and actions of a president matter
The world is watching us and wondering what the heck were doing we've got to get rid of President Trump has been remarkably consistent
And every time he has to come out and say it
It seems to be with
Far more consequences
And address is because he realized that there was a there was a vacuum as you said a vacuum of leadership in a small part of his mission as he said
Is to try to begin the process of restoring some measure of in his words decency honor and respect among Americans
4
All right have you heard the president-elect Joe Biden
Mention the word sedition we'll talk more about what that could mean
When we come back we're going to take a quick break we'll have more of our special coverage here
CBS Evening News
Hello everyone online has a Cuban watching a special CBS news report covering the violent protests
That have been unfolding in Washington
10 today
An angry mob stormed the US Capitol Building disrupting the Electoral College vote count
Lawmakers were rapidly evacuated after demonstrators breached
The Senate chamber
DC is now under curfew and the National Guard has been activated
At least one person
Has died
I'm going to take you back now to my colleagues nor O'Donnell Major Garrett at Okies and our cbsnews
Special Report
And what someone just described is a disgraceful day on Capitol Hill as a mob stormed the capital forcing
A lockdown
And forcing lawmakers into a secure situation that one lawmaker described to us as a potential super spray
Event as hundreds of them have been packed inside a secure area
Almost 3/4 hours as they awake
The law enforcement to secure the United States capitol
I mentioned that word sedition that president-elect Trump mentioned I want to bring in David Becker on that
Very legal point because he is our election law effort
And talk about those comments today that have been raised about
Sedition and off and on and on seditious activity on those who incited this violence
Cast of sedition basically means any activity or conduct that seeks to over
Come legal Authority particularly in a democracy
And I think there's a very good case to be made that we've seen activity like that and I
That certainly is Criminal
That comes with very serious penalties
And it's something
You know when you see activity
That is designed to usurp
Be natural and peaceful transition of power
To a lawful individual in this case the president-elect who won an election it wasn't particularly close
That's
The kind of thing we're looking at in that case it's a very serious term and something something we should compare concerned about
David Becker note noting of corset
That charge of seditious conspiracy that has been leveled
Again some I want to also bring in Nancy Cordes who was on Capitol Hill with some new information about what we're going to see tonight man
We're just learning that the Senate is going to resume
Counting and debating the Electoral College results at 8 p.m. eastern time tonight as senators
Have been
Cuddling in a secure area in a room in an office building of the capital for hours now
Reporters have been pulled up there as well and one of our colleagues Gracie girls who has been there
Says that they've just been told that the senators are going to walk back over to the Capitol around 7 and they're going to pick back
Where they left off
At 8 p.m. keep in mind where we were when all of this went down there a joint session of Congress
Been initiated by the Vice President of the United States in his role as the presiding officer of the Senate
There was an objection to the results from one of the state's Arizona and when that happens
The house and the Senate break apart they go to their respective Chambers and they conduct two hours of debate about that
Objection
Is where we were
When the protesters at demonstrators managed to make it into the capitol
And everything went sideways and so at the Senate it now saying that they're going to pick back up at 8
And continue that debate the question is will any Republican senators were planning to challenge
Not just Arizona but possibly as many as a half a dozen
Battleground State results
Decide that they want to do that anymore in life of all the very strong emotions that were
Mr. Beer on Capitol Hill and around the country today at school waiting to find out we already know that at least one
House Republican Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington state who had been on the list to challenge some of this be safe
Now says she's not going to she says that that would disenfranchise voters from around the
Countries that she's going to go ahead and certify their attending ratify the results from these
These various States about Windows houses going to resume
But the Senate
Being told is going to pick back up
In about an hour and Nancy you have just so clearly laid out what we are going to see in the dryer
Drama it still awaits us this evening because the question
Is whether those Republican members of Congress
We'll walk back
What President George W bush
Have called Reckless Behavior in objecting to what he called
The Constitutional constitutionally-mandated meeting of Congress
The Senators who agreed to the objections
Said was we need to objective because so many people are angry about this election
David angered by the selection about the selection
Falsehoods
Perpetrated and repeated by the president night States
That anger can be dealt with
But their responses to say I must yield to it
Will they have yielded to it and it is yielded
This result
I need help
Constitutional and political decision to me
Having seen the result of that what you yielded to
Can you live with yourself
Can you live at Mitt Romney one of their colleagues republican from Utah said you are conscience
The question Looms
And I guess I just have to keep quoting the former president because I think he wanted so badly to avoid this moment
He said yesterday he would be attending
The inauguration
Joe Biden I think he cares deeply about the institutions
Presidency but Congress
And said that Insurrection could you grade Amos damage to our nation and reputation
The institutions
Karen Washington
Face that damaged today
To some extent yes but let's see how
Things go once they reconvene tonight
How quickly it's handled how respectfully
And the messages listen to the world that there may have been a disruption but they're getting back to the business of American democracy
Ed O'Keefe and Major Garrett thank you we're going to take another quick break our coverage of the assault on the US Capitol continue
How everyone has a Cuban watching a CBS News special report
After writer
Storm with US Capitol building in Washington today
An angry mom overturned barricades battle with police broke windows
All disrupting the Electoral College vote count
Lawmakers were forced into hiding and secure location
After demonstrators breached the Senate chamber
DC is now under a curfew
And the National Guard has been activated
At least one person has died
Others have been injured
And at least two suspected
Explosive devices have been found and disabled
Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have called the violence on American
In a taped message
President Trump to win the election
But called on protesters to go home
After earlier encouraging them to march to the Capitol
President-elect Joe Biden called it an insurrection
I'm going to take you back now to my colleagues nor O'Donnell Major Garrett and Ed O'Keefe and our cbsnews
And welcome back to our CBS News special coverage wear
We are following an extraordinary day here in Washington the US
Capital The Citadel of democracy
Was in lockdown
Today both
Houses of Congress
Shutdown
The capital stormed
Thousands of mob protesters
Pro Trump supporters who had marched down Pennsylvania Avenue after being incited by the president of the
United States
The time to overturn the results
The election
That mob taking the capital after the Vice President of the United States
Said that he would fulfill his
Constitutional and ceremonial role and not follow out the orders of the president United States to try and high
Hijack what is a constitutionally mandated process
Was extraordinary to see a number of Republican lawmakers including the vice president
As well as the Senate Majority Leader essentially stand up to the president knighted states and say
We're going to move forward with this process
Hear the objections of some Republican lawmakers
But as soon as they went into break
To debate in both houses that's when the Mob Rules started to break
Threw some have questioned whether the DC police or whether the DC capitol police should have been more prepared
To deal with thousands of people there's a lot of backbiting and looking back going on tonight
But the National Guard has been called in police from surrounding areas in Maryland and Virginia also brought in and
And tonight
We can tell you that the US Capitol
Is secure the Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi staying in 1 hour from now
They will resume
The process the drama hanging over all of this is what will those Republicans
Lawmakers like Senator Ted Cruz
Senator Josh Hawley
Other Republican lawmakers will they continue to drag this out and abject even as they have been
Butte by former president
George
W bush you're looking at now the crowds it still exists even though there has been a curfew
In effect
In the District of Columbia our nation's capital for more than an hour
Deep concern about violence tonight is the sun has set and what will happen in the hours
I had we've been on the air now
For some six hours covering all of this and want to bring in we judging who is at the White House
Sweet
Ignore the White House just called a photo lead which signals that we will not see or hear
From President Trump anymore tonight but just a short time ago he tweeted for protesters to go home
With love and in peace Norris it is notable that he did not condemn the violence
And that we have watched all day long and facts
He justified it saying this is what happens when a sacred Landslide election
Is Stripped Away from great Patriots which of course is not true he echoed that falsehood
In a message that the White House released earlier today but we should note it was pre-recorded
It was not a live address which of course carries more urgency
And it came 2 hours after we saw the unrest begin and only after
A growing number of calls from Republican leaders
And president-elect Joe Biden for mr. Trump to directly speak to the crowd here's what he said
You have to go home now
We have to have peace
We have to have Law & Order we have to respect to our grape
People in Law and Order
We don't want anybody hurt
In that same message Nora he also Amplified the very falsehood
That were fueling the violence today again claiming that the election was rigged
And so that is why there is so much
Criticism tonight against President Trump from only reacting to what has happened
But missing the opportunity to proactively ask his supporters to remain calm
As they came here to Washington and of course what we don't know
Now is also what he plans to do next
After
Congress certifies these results he is absolutely out of options he already is
He has made clear he will not concede so will he offer any sort of leadership
In his final days of office
Nora
Weijia Jiang there at the White House and what has no doubt been an extraordinary day there as well
I'll as the vice president to
For four years has been
Quite loyal to this president in every way
Has today broken
With the president
Only in the sense that he is upholding the Constitution and governing federal law
And for that to be a rupture in a relationship between any vice president and president is scandal in this country
And to your point Nora about this idea of loyalty and fulfilling Everyman date that President Trump play before his vice president eyring
Reminded of an interview
I conducted was Chris Christie about a year ago when his book came out
And Chris Christina middle that interview said President Trump is most disloyal to the people who are most loyal to him
Let that sink in for a second
Mike Pence
The most loyal Republican
Within a hundred miles
President Trump for four straight years
Is living that nightmare today
And the country got a glimpse of a nightmarish aspect
Of what President Trump can incite
Doesn't site and doesn't live in
In the most poisonous
Corners of American politics by what we saw play out the nation's capital what was the warning we heard today
From the Republican leader of the Senate Mitch McConnell who has also been
Ordinarily loyal to the president and has not rebuked him it at barely any steps
Sidestep most of the most outrageous things that President Trump has said in on judges regulations tax policy completely
Lockstep with the president but he said
If what was contemplated by those who wish to object to this election was carried out
Democracy would be and I'm quoting him directly
In a death spiral
He said the Congress would turn itself
Into a national Board of Elections on steroids
That the evidence the president site is extraordinary thin the underlying election was not unusually close and the president
Has embraced sweeping conspiracy theories
Sweeping conspiracy theories level.dat the president United States
We now have Mitt Romney saying that Trump incited
An insurrection
At the Capitol
There is blame
Perma number of Republicans squarely
The president for what has happened to an institution no matter what party that they dearly love
In Revere
And as a result I think we're going to see an image
Certainly if they want a present of unity tonight as senators
I'm going to walk back
Together as Gracie years has reported back into the capital
Not only I think an important message domestically but externally as well to foreign government to tonight are
Allies expressing concern
And unity with United States are adversaries
Making hay out of what has happened
Here in our nation's capital
It's incredible to think that the Canadian Prime Minister the British prime minister issue statements about political unrest in the United States of America
It's supposed to be the other way around
Yeah we
Aren't the subject of those kinds of statements where the ones making them about other corners of the world end today
We are no better
10 things that go on in Caracas
Managua Eastern Europe
It's just incredible
We do have what has been a largely
Peaceful
Disbursement of these krauts by law enforcement
In those other countries
Those who carried out
Mob aura
Protest in this way
Would be shot dead earlier today the pr aspect of this
In corners of the world will be see you want democracy going to look a lot like that there is an exasperation Now by
Publican members who have had to spend the last four hours
Huddled together in a secure
Place together
Roy blunt
Number of the Republican leadership saying
I don't want to hear anything
Surrey election in two years and knows correct he would possibly probably need support
From who does not endorse his Junior Missouri College Josh Holly's
Efforts to
Object to the to the acceptance by Congress of the Electoral College
Boats and
Doing so knowing
That the trumpworld
Has vowed to cortical primary therefore politically attack any Republican who doesn't quote on quote
Fight on behalf of the president it is worth noting that that fight
Is anti-constitutional
Anti-Federalists
Antithetical to everything America stands for Republicans that said today was unimaginable there have been some who is
No this is the culmination
Of continuing to
Allow President Trump to have no guardrails
And that was part of the exasperation
You could call desperation that we heard in the voice of the Republican leader of the House of Representatives
Kevin McCarthy we spoke with her earlier today he was the first indication that we got
But they were desperately calling the White House
Telling the president
That's my son
Take a listen
U-Haul run from the capital
Why not stay there and meet these
These people who believe the same way that you do
I can't tell you where we are and for added safety for everybody else
But the one thing I will tell you it's people can have a disagreement we disagree everyday when it comes to politics
People can have that not this nobody supports this
Nobody encourages if nobody wants it I want to be very clear
I condemn any of this activity this is not anything I support this is not anything that I would be a part of
This is got to stop
This has got to stop
From the most senior Republican in the House of Representatives
The question
Will be what will they do
That is the question at 8 tonight
This must stop how or will they continue the debate
Over counting the electoral votes will the Republican leadership in the House of Representatives
Be able to Corral the objections of house members because you need
Both a written objection from a House member
And a senate member will the Senate hold the line on this or will we go back into a debate again like we saw
Earlier today
In terms of the guardrails for democracy
Tonight we see
Twitter
Facebook other social media companies that are under Fire
For disseminating misinformation allowing the
Wildfire to spread of misinformation taking some limited action
Abstinence
Quoting from them as a result of the unprecedented and ongoing violence situation in Washington DC
They're requiring the removal of three realdonaldtrump tweets
Quote that were posted earlier today for repeated
And severe violations of our Civic Integrity policy
The subsequent week they say they will lock the account of the president
For 12 hours following the removal of these tweets
If the tweets are not remove the account will remain lock
Future violations including our Civic Integrity or violent threats policy will result in permanent suspension
I'll be at realdonaldtrump account and I can hear some of your viewers
Through the camera saying what took them so long
And why only now
But it's
Being done and Facebook Also earlier today
Took down the video
What are you posted this afternoon
Adam Sandler concerned that while he was telling these protesters to go home and stop he was still
Spreading misinformation
And inciting his supporters by reiterating these falsehoods
About the election being stolen
And
It's worth noting that in this context the president has assailed
In every direction in Washington he is assailed the Supreme Court gives the sales his own justice department gives assailed his f
Bi skizza sale Republicans
Jesus healed anyone who does not
Endorse
Amplify and seek to
Legislatively or procedurally topple this election
That is the Loyalty test he is now applying
It is without precedent
In our history
The other big headline of the day is Democrats taking control of the United States Senate
That big runoff election just yesterday
Two Senate races unprecedented turnout more than four and a half million people in it
January election
Turning out more than 70% voting VIA mail more than a million coming out
To the polls
The Republican Party
Feeling confident going in that they would likely win those races and it turned up
2 Democratic candidates actually outperformed
Joe Biden among key Democratic constituencies among African-Americans along young people in the store
Suburbs
Doing better than expected and therefore
CBS News projects that both Democrats have won those two seats
Really
Extraordinary development
Given to not only just about
What's changed in the state of Georgia once a ruby red state
And the changing demographics in the state like this
Raphael Warnock
Is the
Reverend and the pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church
Martin Luther King
Spoke from that Podium I was there for the
Just this year for the funeral of
John Lewis
This is a landmark
Election
Because
Senator-elect
Warnock I guess we could call him Reverend Warnock becomes the
First
African American
Elected Democrat from the south
The first from Georgia
Extraordinary as he pointed out today his mother
Who used to pick cotton
In Georgia
Was able to pick
Her son
And hope for her son
The United States enter this is part of the Legacy as well over the last two years of political fighting in this country that
We have seen tremendous change
And progress in corners of the country where many didn't think it was possible in this is also
The result of
About a decade's worth of work by democrats in Georgia
To get up support fine people in contacts are not speak to them and get them to persuade them it's hard work
It takes many many years
Both parties learn this
But there's some interesting news to share with you Nora and Ed the vice president's office has just released a statement
Thing two things that are important
When did the vice president never left the capital
And that he is work throughout the day
With all branches of government and Senior Congressional leadership to
Make the situation better that's a
My description of what the statement says
And that he is prepared to resume
His duties tonight
The Congress
Reconvenes
That's extraordinary there's a lot of news coming out of the Capital One at talk about that in just a minute but first also want to go to Joy
Georgia is Ron that no because
Mark Strassman has covered
Those two Senate races there and he is outside
Ebenezer Church tonight mark
Nor with your Indulgence I want to talk first about a further Ripple of what we've been watching in Washington
George's secretary of state that Brad raffensperger and a staff for the last several weeks
Have needed security because they've lived with threats
Well this morning outside the state capitol building in Downtown Atlanta a group of trump protesters gather
On the other side of the building
Good for men in military style clothing carrying long gun
And out of an abundance of caution
Ravensburger decided to evacuate his staff he sent them all home
He because he knew that after all they still had an election to oversee
And even though there are thousands of volunteer
Still uncounted apparently there is no way that the Republican candidates can make up the gas so
We have two senators elected here in Georgia
John alsup is 33 years old he's the first
A Jewish Senator elected from the state of Georgia and then you have a pastor Raphael Warnock the first black senator
From the state of Georgia it has been a remarkable and historic day a remarkable in the store collection 24 hours
Here in Georgia it's a day that many Democrats and Republicans never thought that they would live to see
And yet it's here
And I have to tell you that the ripples hear what is suggestive of
Georgia as a Changing State the referendum on the on the truck. Because the president
Came here and campaign
Nominally for these candidates mostly for himself in his fraud allegations
And in the end
A Metro Atlanta changing demographics younger more diverse more Progressive
Turn their back on the president and instead
I voted for the two Democrats and again at something that many state Republican Ciara Furious about
Because they believe that the president's approach
What's a distraction help depressed
Turnout among Republicans because in the end not enough Republican voters showed up
And more than enough Democratic voters showed up
North and I know Marcus someone that has lived there in Atlanta and Georgia and reports all the time and talk to many people
It seems remarkable what has changed there
Normally hides its Georgia as you said once ruby red that has been slowly chain
Changing but you do have the sense
Both with the president's defeat here-and-now with the two senators that these changes May
Will be happening much faster than people realize
And that the Republican party's traditional approach
Wasn't working particularly well as time with going on
And then of course the trumpeters or something profoundly different the overall approach is very very different
And I think you what you can say here is that is that the president wore out his welcome
Are in the suburbs of Atlanta
Many Republicans
Oh I know
Lifelong Republican who said
Yeah II
I just can't I can't do it
And so
There is going to be a moment of Reckoning and fake here in Georgia and elsewhere Georgia could be a cautionary Tale
A4 other
Red states that have gone all-in on the on the truck reproduction and
And essentially
Bent are very loyal to the president have to see how that goes across in the days and weeks ahead
But clearly there is there is a
Areal seismic shift going on here in Georgia
It's a brilliant political
Analysis and Reporting it thank you Marcia Strassman because even
Are the closest aides to the Senate Majority Leader
I'm Mitch McConnell made that point when the results finally came in he made the point he said
Suburbs suburbs
Suburbs
That when you've turned off those Suburban voters
It could be traditionally more conservative that wants
Two brats vote Republican but we're so we saw this in the presidential election but we're turned off by some of the president's rhetoric another
Switch back to the Democratic party but that is the flashing warning sign for the Republican party that I
I think LED
Mitch McConnell today to deliver that extraordinary rebuke of the president as well as
The efforts by his Republican colleagues to put on this process because
You both have cover the Congress as have I
McConnell usually let the process kind of play itself out knowing that it will reach an ultimate outcome
Tina clear he wasn't in favor of this of this process of Republican Senators
Not in favor of it hit actively privately discouraged it was unable to achieve that
And was essentially
With his speech taking those who did not heed his
Request
Do the rhetorical woodshed
There's something important about Georgia
Because we talked earlier about where there warning signs yes there were Gabriel Sterling what are the top
Election officials in Georgia who has had to repeatedly
Debunk and explain away
All of these
Wacky unjustified theories of things going askew
With vote count in Georgia
Many weeks ago said mr. president.
This rhetoric
People will get hurt
People will get shot
He said those words out loud with great passion
And great emphasis
Weeks ago not yesterday
He foreshadowed
Sadly
Regrettably
Heartbreakingly
What we saw play out today
There's been another development for those that follow politics closely
Uber is a retiring Republican senator from North Carolina there's been talk that Lara Trump
Well actually trying to seek
His seat
Yes Richard Burr has been referred to as a good old boy many times and today he issues a straw
Strong rebuke of the president saying this
The president Bears responsibility for today's events
By promoting the unfounded conspiracy theories that have led to this
Point it is past time to accept the will of American voters
And to allow the nation to move
Ford
We are now
Just about
40 minutes away from finding out what will happen with the rest of the Republican party on Capitol Hill
And what they will do as they continue this constitutionally-mandated process process account
Watching the electoral votes
Will they fall in line
Behind
The Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and others who seem exasperated
And disgusted with what has happened today or were they continue to oppose
And
For fuel on these unfounded conspiracy theories that Senator Richard Burr the Republican from North
North Carolina is just mention
And so far we got word of only one member of the House Republican
Contested caucus
Saying she's instead now going to back off and
Go to Electoral College at the Cathy mcmorris-rodgers in Washington State
Former house Republican leadership now saying that she will not join her colleagues in contesting these results
We'll see if there are more of those but that testing literally some of them have certainly seen what happened today realize darkraver Quonset consequences
We're going to take a quick break in our coverage of the assault on the capital continues in just a moment
Hi everyone I'm Lana's at can you continue to watch a CBS News special report
After rioters stormed the US Capitol building in Washington today
The angry mob overturned barricades battle with police broke windows
Disrupting the Electoral College vote count
Lawmakers were forced into hiding and several secure locations are the capital after demonstrators breached
The Senate chamber
DC is now under curfew and the National Guard has been activated
At least one person has died others have been injured
And at least two suspected
Explosive devices
I've been found and disabled
Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have called the violence on American
In a taped message president from again. I claimed to win the election but he did call on Pro
Protesters to go home
After earlier encouraging them to Mars
The capital President Joe Biden called it an Insurrection as did former
Going to take you back to my colleagues nor O'Donnell Major Garrett at Okies and our cbsnews
The final step
And acknowledging that
President-elect
Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election and in two weeks from today
Will be inaugurated as the 46th president of the United States
Want to bring in Nancy Cortez who is on Capitol Hill and Nancy
Tell us what you're hearing may happen in the next half an hour
We're seeing some movement of workers from the senate floor the aides who basically keep
The Senate running
Have now been escorted back from a senate office building where they have been holed up for hours back over
Over to the senate floor to prepare for the Senate coming back into session around 8 p.m.
To continue its debate of these Electoral College results that's the first concrete sign that we have
Seeing if this is in fact
Getting getting underway and that they are in fact aiming for an 8 p.m. start and then we just got
Word from steny Hoyer he's a number to Democrats in the house he controls the house floor that they are
I trying to get revved up as well he says members are advised it as soon as the house sergeant-at-arms confirm
Capitol building is safe and secure the house is expected to reconvene and resume debate this is important
For a couple of reasons that an angry mob is not going to stop them from doing
Doing the people's work it is laid out in
The Constitution after all that this is something that Congress does on the 6th of
January
After an election year they go ahead and they count up the Electoral College
And they announce the winner so they don't want to be kept
From that job they sent a very important piece of business and they don't want it to appear either each other America
You're around the world that they were stopped from doing that today so they want to get back to work the big question now
Nora is
What are
House and Senate Republicans
Going to do are they going to continue with their plan
You can test the results
In
Let's say five more Battleground States they're meeting at this hour the Senate Republicans at least they're in a room
Reporters outside of that room ready to tell us what happened once they come out
I bet it is a mystery right now and there's a very good chance that there is a diversity of thought if you will amongst
These Republicans about what exactly they should do you got Josh Hawley of Missouri Ted Cruz
Text James Lankford of Oklahoma these are very different individual to
Turtle found a marriage of convenience here when they all decided to contest the results for they all had very different reasons
And there's no guarantee that they all feel the same way now about what they should do going forward and that's why
Why these conversation seemed to have dragged on for quite a long time now and we're still waiting for an answer about what
This process is going to look like
After everything that we've seen today
Nancy Cortez there on Capitol Hill and
What we are expecting in the next half-hour is a key moment thank for not only the Republic
And Leadership that the Republican Party
A moment when All Eyes Of The Nation the world are trained on the United States capitol
Concern about how he could end how can we reach this point
At the tail end of the Trump presidency
Which has already had so much controversy and now ends with this
A storming
I would have been called The Citadel of democracy
Accomplishments whatever they are and however
You hold
Never deal you hold them if you're a trump supporter
Are overshadowed if not utterly erased by the spectacle today
Of people who say they are
With him
Who want to topple an election
And do so through anti-constitutional means and MOB rule
That is and will be
The lingering image of this Trump presidency
There's just no two ways about it you cannot erase this image
This image is indelible
And Republicans are going to have to decide
In the next hour and a half or so
Exactly how much responsibility
They are willing to accept
How much they believe they have either
Quietly
Or with some of their rhetoric
Aided and abetted it
And what they will do to reverse it
All right and we will find that out as you mention in the next
Power as we're just running to Twitter has blocked the president's account and says he may be banned
Going to take a quick break our coverage of the assault in the capital continues just a moment
Hello everyone I wanna Zach it is a dark day in history the US Capitol Building breached by Angry support
Photos of President Trump in Washington today
Electoral College vote count was scheduled to take place when lawmakers were forced to evacuate
After Riders overturn barricades battle with police broke windows
And breach
The Senate chamber
Lawmakers are expected to return to finish the vote count tonight
And lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have called this violence on American
In a taped message President Trump again falsely claimed to win the election
He did call on protesters to go home
He has not
Address America
Still at this point though
President elect Joe Biden
Called it an insurrection
As we've mentioned previously DC is now under curfew and the National Guard has been activated
In all of this rioting at least one person has died others have been injured and at least two suspected explosive do
Devices have been found and disabled
I'm going to take you back now to our full coverage and my colleagues nor O'Donnell Major Garrett and a turkey fanar cbsnews
Our continuing coverage of the assault on the US Capitol continues Chennai the boy
Breaking news as the capital is now secure and Congress will shortly reconvene to continue with jobs
Counting the electoral votes
Twitter has locked President Trump's account for the next 12 hours
After he tweeted that he was sympathetic to the protesters
They're not protesters that rioters and he called them Patriots today which is why the president
Blocked their accounts
Want to bring Insidious is Nancy Cordes she is in covering
Congress for us and thank you Nancy as we have been on the air now for better half was almost 7 hours cuz
Covering all this and Nancy what an extraordinary day it has been what are you learning about what these Senators will do
Well we know that they are going to reconvene Nora around 8 p.m. both in the Senate
And in the house they want to get back to work
When we left off
Fart earlier today they had just begun the process of going through the list of states one-by-one in alphabet
Medical order
And reading out loud the Electoral College results from each state and they had run into there
First
Opposition to one of the states and filed by both House and Senate Republicans to the State of Arizona we were in the
So what happened then was that the two houses split up
The Joint session of Congress was halted the Senate went back to the Senate side house remained in house Chambers and they come in
Fence with two hours of debate that's when you heard
That very stirring speech from the Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's arguing against
The individuals in his own party who had decided to contest the results he argue
This was really a race to the bottom and that contesting the results when there is a
No evidence of widespread fraud and be this race wasn't particularly close in his words
All it does is fuel mistrust in public elections and he said that there's nowhere to
To go but down from there it was a pretty prescient speech because it wasn't much
Longer before of these individuals who had been outside of the capital broke into it
And so everything had to stop and that's where they are now going to pick up at 8 p.m. although
I anticipate even though this is supposed to be a debate over whether to accept the election result
Salt in the state of Arizona I expect instead that what you'll see is members of Congress who want to come and speak for a
A few minutes about what they saw today
How much it upset them how much it disturb them and I think you'll hear a lot along those lines when the debate resume
What we're waiting to see now is whether this process will last another couple of hours or whether it is going to last
All night
And that is really up to a group of
Senate Republicans who need to decide whether they are going to continue with their Crusade along with
100 House Republicans to contest the results in up to five more battlegrounds
States
Citing again widespread irregularities for which there is no evidence or weather given
The events of the day and how shaken up everyone is and how I obviously these
Unfounded claims of a stolen election have really stoked asset
Segments of this population
And perhaps it's time to to act a little bit more responsibly
Whether Republicans decide to drop their challenges and just say okay let's go ahead
And ratify the results of
This election so that's what we're watching to see right now Nora
Nancy I'm sensing something right now which is an avalanche of Republican
Criticism and disgust directed at the White House in the president knighted states
Liz Cheney
Alright now a member of the Republican leadership in the house saying there's no question the president
Form to the Mob
The president
Incited
The mob
Is a very strong word
The communications director at the Republican National community
Committee rather
Saying that what happened today was domestic terrorism
Our soldiers have died carrying American flag into battle for our freedom to see that flag using the name of unfounded
Nursing theories is a disgrace
But
There are Republican lawmakers who have also stoke
Hussein conspiracies Nancy
There absolutely are Nora and you know there are even lawmakers who
Who opposed this movement
To challenge the Electoral College results who played cute themselves for many weeks when it was obvious
The Joe Biden
Had one this presidential race and the
Frankly wasn't a close call even Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell gave that very fun
Find speech today refused to say out loud for weeks if not months that
Joe Biden was indeed the president-elect of the United States you had foreign leaders Nora
Congratulating Joe Biden and you had almost no Republicans in the US Congress
For willing to do the same
So while these lawmakers are now criticizing the president criticizing their colleagues for
Going ahead with this movement they themselves did give the president the The Running Room
To be able to continue with the claims that he was making that this this was somehow that you know
Landslide victory for him that we just all missed and that every single state botched
Have they come out sooner
And shut that down
And not said things like well we have to let every single a legal challenge play out even though they knew that so
Many of these legal challenges were bogus and would go nowhere then perhaps we wouldn't be in
The situation we are in right now we just don't know
Nancy Cordes on Capitol Hill thank you want to bring in Jeff Rosen who is president of the national Constitution
Center and is such an expert in
And Jeff had so great to have your perspective right now because when we talk about
Why the Constitution was in white / the founders were so concerned about mob
They saw mods in the street they saw a farmer's mobbing courthouses cuz I didn't want to pay their debts
And they saw the failed democracies of Greece and Rome Madison had when he went to Philadelphia to trunks
Books by Thomas Jefferson from Paris about how Greece and Rome have fallen
Because of mobs inflamed by demagogues who made false
Promises and incited them to violence
This is why they drafted the Constitution
Ignore you asked earlier what were some of the cooling mechanisms they put into place
One addition to the Electoral College was a big one
Another of the central cooling mechanism was the Senate
And it is remarkable
The Senators who claim to a Baby original understanding of a constitution like Senators Holly and crew
Are advocating the responsibilities the framers thought that was placed in them
To make independent judgment about fats
And to reach decisions in the public interest
Not because of
Prison address
So that is a constitutional choice
Set those Senators face in the next few hours will they restore the Senate's role as a cooling
Mechanism
To fight back one of the
Greatest the only violent assault on the capital of American History I can't believe I'm speaking
Those words with that
Is the case
Aside from the War of 1812 when the White House was attacked we've not seen
Federal buildings the White House in the capital attacked by
Violent mobs
Will they play that role or will they continue to stoke
The violence that said that the president has incited
Ann and Jeff we just got in a statement from President Bill Clinton on the assault about the capital saying this is
The salt was fueled by more than four years of poison politics spreading deliberate misinformation
Sowing distrust in our system and putting Americans against
One another the match was lit
By Donald Trump
And his most Ardent enablers including many in Congress
To overturn the election
He also called this an unprecedented assault on our Constitution and you also heard
Present like Biden and former President George W bush use the word
Insurrection
Those leaders would not have used that word insurrection
Lightly
Explain why
Interactions extraordinaire Ali serious in armed conspiracy against the lawfully constituted Authority
The United States
The word Insurrection appears in the constitution in the 14th Amendment
Which forbids anyone who's aided or abetted and interactions molding
Public or military office that was that passed after the Civil War to prevent former Confederate sympathizers from holding
Office
We have not previously seen an officer of the United States government
Calling for violence against its legally also authorized the authorities released inside
By encouraging it
And that is why
Two former presidents of the United States
Have talked about an assault on the Constitution
The Constitution is grounded in
The rule of law
Limited powers of the president and Congress and an independent Judiciary all doing their job
And when mobs try to prevent any institution from doing that job then we have the Constitution indeed under it
So that is why it is so urgently important the courts have spoken almost unanimously on these issues
And now it is time for the Congress of the United States
To perform the only role that the constitution assigns in which is to count the electoral votes
I'm to put an end to what is indeed
One of the most serious assaults on constitutional values
In American history
And you believe there's any indication
That someone in our government has Aiden a seditious conspiracy
Welding
But the mob appear to be responding to the president's tweets and the president tweeted then soon after the mob
Organized on social media and
Summoned to the Capitol
Now it's a
Important and remarkably
Difficult legal question about whether the president's tweets themselves
Constitute legal incitement that's illegally inside violence
It's a very high standard and Supreme Court law
You have to intend to
And be likely to incite imminent violence
And the question is whether when the president said he intended to
And was likely to incite imminent violence it certainly appears that it was likely to incite it cuz it did
Whether intended it to know he can say he was joking or some such
But that is why this is this is so serious are there two questions what was the president's role in inciting this violence
And what was the mobs rolling conspiring to Aid and abet it
And there are statutes governing sedition and Insurrection the Smith Act passed
During World War II
Because of fears of
Fifth columnist would rise up and
Threatened the US during World War II
But never have these instruments been
Against the president or against the mob attacking the capital
Now this man this is not
No the time to resolve this in
Courtroom
Later is now
The Congress of the United States
Mustache
And make clear by its own actions
That it will
Thomas violence and performance constitutional Duty
Jeff rossen
Thank you so much for your constitutional expertise
And I know we could just listen to for our I want to check in with
Weezer playing at the white house because there are some
Breaking news about
From the White House and I'm Weezer tell us what you're learning
Nor we have just confirmed it Stephanie Grisham who is the first lady's Chief of Staff has reserved
And of course Stephanie Grisham was also
President Trump's third press secretary
Most well-known especially among the oppressed
Fort never holding a single
Press briefing however she was certainly a staunch defender of President Trump would work with him
On the campaign and we know tonight that she has decided to leave as a ruse
Adult of the protest that we have all been watching on full sheet says in a statement that it has been
Honor to serve the country in the White House that she's very proud to have been part of mrs. trump
Mission to help children everywhere
And part of the many
Accomplishments and proud of that part of this Administration but it is certainly notable
Did she has decided to step
When she was really you know in the middle of many of fiery conflict that involved
President in fact during her time here at the present was getting impeached
And she did not offer a single press briefing and really made public remarks to defend the price
President leaving him in many ways to be his own Defender which is partially why
She left the role that we can also say we haven't heard from the current press secretary today
Kayleigh mcenany who has
Largely avoided the Press since election day as members of her team slowly Lee
Leave the White House as well
In fact the former director of communications who left just about a month ago Alyssa Farah
Weeded out
But she is also a member of Maga but she sent the message today that I need you to
Hear me the election was not stolen we lost so she now has this
Freedom
To express sentiments like that you have to imagine that
Import at least why Stephanie Grisham
Has decided to resign at the first ladies
Chief of staff
Nora
Weezer yang
Thank you
Do you think that this is a move based on Integrity by these individuals and
Terms of their True Values
Or is more a move of practicality as there's only 14 days left of the Trump presidency in as they try and
Antique new unemployment
They've been unable to find jobs
It is a
Admixture of a lot of things I know Stephanie Grisham very well
7 Christian was one of the few people who were part of the
Original Trump campaign in 2016 very small
Five or six people
And she was not a press secretary Ivan a budding press secretary that she was kind of a press Wrangler who helped
Facilitate things on the road
She had aspirations but she was a Believer she was very much caught up in that way the Persona of Donald Trump but the movement of
President-trump
Is campaign in 2016
And very much a True Believer and thought that the Press was unfair thought the Democrats
Obsessed about the Russia collusion investigation thought they were unduly and unnecessarily harming this president
And she believed that very strongly and acted accordingly
But it is now
Quite evident that for her and I can only say based on my knowledge of the first lady and Stephanie Grisham and their relationship
But these things are somewhat if not perfectly aligned
But her resignation isn't is is at least eight
Indication
I'm just pleasure
Are you suggesting that the first lady's now going to say something about Donald Trump I'm just saying that Stephanie grisham's resignation
Can I putting out a statement like this
Would not be done in open Defiance of the first lady if the first lady did not give her some indication that that was from
Really cuz to me this is the Titanic going down the violinist is still playing and they just jumped off at the last moment
That's what this
An end there a lot of Republicans in town we're starting to do
All right now in the close of day if they feel is made both be true but I think that
That what major is indicating
Is an acute understanding of that relationship and the Loyalty with which Stephanie Grisham
Who had been on the outskirts of politics
Back into the Trump family and given prominence especially loyal to them
End
You can both things can be true at exactly the same time
And they are but I don't think you can look at this and say well the first lady has no opinion about this whatsoever
I just kick I can't but I cannot believe that understanding the closeness of their relationship and what this moment means forever
Everyone is trying to make a decision as they look in the mirror
What if I been about
What am I represented what am I spoken on behalf of what am I labored on behalf of
And at this moment
With anyone in the Trump World it is much more difficult than it's ever been
To look in that mirror
And say I'm completely satisfied
And a total believer and what has just happened
Art
Senior political analyst John Dickerson has noted that 4 years ago the inauguration
A President Trump he spoke about American Carnage tonight there's a number of Republican officials that are
You're saying the president
Dates abroad
Disgrace
To democracy
In the words of Liz Cheney that he incited the very mob violence that took over
The US Capitol today
That put a strain on US law enforcement
And now you see a cross the board
Even Trump loyalists
Denouncing violence fearful that they will be branded
With the type of
Rhetorical branding which state
Proposed promote which is that they do not endorse violence and yet
It appears that they are being accused of inciting this very violent parties in a very awkward
Place tonight
The visuals do not support that rhetoric
And
The actions of those who carried out in
Samuel Johnson is a well-known British theorist and political writer he wrote famously
Patriotism is the last Refuge of the scoundrel
Carrying an American flag as you storm the capitol does not make you a patriot
It does not make you blameless and it doesn't make you someone who can't be prosecuted
Trust me you will be even though you carry an American flag
And that's the point that is in made by many people wide Twitter
Has suspended the account of President Trump and says they made Banette altogether
For calling mobsters
Ian violent individuals Patriots
CS Nancy Cordes
Covers at Capitol Hill for us doing this from up there and Nancy we are now just minutes away
From senators and lawmakers trying to resume business there what are you hearing
A piece of breaking news Nora we have now heard from the first
Senate Republican who is part of this Cadre it was objecting to the Electoral College results
It appears to have had a change of heart
Senator Steve daines of Montana has just put out a statement saying we will not let today's
Violence deter Congress
From certifying the election
We must restore confidence
In our electoral process
So even though he signed onto the first challenge of the day
Against the State of Arizona he's now saying he doesn't want any part of it
And frankly he was always kind of a surprising
Addition to This Crew he's just won re-election so really doesn't have to worry about his electoral prospects
For another six years he's not really a big maggot type someone who ties himself very tight
To the president but you know a lot of these Republican Senators felt a lot of pressure especially when you got the Press
Resident-owned
Suns
Saying if you don't stand by Our Father we're going to make sure you face a primary in the next time around
But given everything that's happened today
Steve daines looked at the situation in front of him and decided that it was time to go ahead and try to certify these
You're looking at right now Nora
Are senators in the Hart Senate Office Building being escorted by guards
Out of the secure area that they had all been in together
For many many hours
One wonders what they talked about that entire time they're being escorted
Back to the Capitol because they are going to resume debate
Over
The Arizona State results although as we've been discussing I think that there's Josh Hawley
We'll see what he does we haven't heard from him yet one way or the other he's one of the leaders of this challenge movement
And look at the people who have been with them all this time they've got
Probably members of the National Guard there and it looks like they got FBI on their flak jackets in full
Body gear so they really were very heavily guarded during the many hours
That they could not be in the US Capitol
Organize and spread the message that this is urgent I try to be
A voice for the voiceless I'm here to fight for my right to have a planet that is not picking up
Do you want to stop the production of energy here in the United States is really an antimatter
Policy young people have the most at stake
We are racing Against Time the climate crisis is first and foremost
A human tissue
19 is impacting every American in one way or another but if your Asian-American
Of an external threat would have been 911
We're going to take a quick break our coverage of the assault on the capital continues in just a moment
I never want another family to go through with me and my family went the one Denzel with murder
Police have partnered with local businesses to implement a camera surveillance Network
Face recognition on everything Police pull me over handcuffed
It was photographic evidence that they were using to accuse you of a crime yes it is crazy
What would you be right now if the judge looking at the photos made the same
Artificial intelligence
We are here to get you up to speed on all the news that you need to know trusted true journalism
When did you start the field at anxiety
Many where the news is too everywhere you are Morning News
Just the way you want it to look at some of the stories that you met president-elect
Joe Biden will become the 46
President of the United States
And inaugurated
Two weeks from today want to bring in David Becker he isn't election law expert and CBS News contributor and David I think
Now is a good opportunity to just remind everybody about
What we may see in the coming our what may happen
What's at stake for the Republicans about whether this process will move forward
Well we'll have to see we have no historical precedents for this sitahal
We were right in the middle of what was
Tubino are no longer than two-hour debate on
The
Arizona electoral votes which had an objection from members from both the Senate and the house
Senator Lankford was in the middle of speaking when we adjourned
I believe there's probably about an hour and a half or maybe even a little bit more time left in that maximum 2 hours what's the sea
If the objectors to the Arizona electoral votes want to proceed with this objection they could always choose to withdraw.
Taken
And bayerle there's no requirement to go the full 2 hours
And then they would vote and presumably
We know for certain in fact that that vote will fail the objection will not be upheld
And then after that we'll continue down alphabetically through the list
And we've got some with some time to go but when we do this without objection it can take as little as around 30 min
To count all of the electoral votes and we'll have to see if the Republican objectors still want to proceed
With the objection in light of the fact
That this activity this this lie to President Trump supporters that something could be done to change the outcome of the
The election today
That that
Whether they just reject out of hand and and you know I think there's a really good reason for them to reconsider their
Their approach are they certainly made there
Concerns heard courts of heard this
I think we'll have to see how this all plays out this could end
Earlier than we expect if
Republicans either want to withdraw their Arizona election and then
Proceed without further objections to the rest of the electoral votes
Important point of David David Becker points out that you need both a member of the House and the Senate so if there are still somehow
House members
Perhaps the Senate we will wait and see that is the question before all of us
At this hour before the United States
You know we've been talking about
How this President is disloyal to the people who are closest to him you pointed this out earlier
We just got a statement from the former Defense secretary Jim Mattis
This one is pretty profound
He says today's violent assault on our Capital an effort to subjugate American democracy by mob rule
Was fomented by mr. Trump
Is used to the presidency to destroy trust in our election into poison our respect for fellow citizens has been enabled by
Pseudo political leaders whose names will live in infamy as profiles in cowardice
Our Constitution and our Republic will overcome this stain
And we the people will come together again in our never-ending effort to form a more perfect union
Mr Trump
Will deservedly be a man left
Without a country
That from his former Defense secretary
Profiles in cowardice is this ultimately
The flushing of trump in the Republican party or is he still quite powerful within it
Is it
Isn't it's not flushable
Mute this doesn't do it
Then the Republican party has given itself over entirely to the personality
Complex Mania
And malevolence of President Trump
This has to be the breaking point this has to be the moment
Which Wich
Republicans have conscious safe
This and no more
Not one inch more
We are done
And if they don't
Then this becomes the trumpian party
And the Republican Party disappears before our very eyes
Preside
Over this will he
Ultimately denounce
President that he is served loyally for the past 4 years
Well he's already been accused by the president of effectively denouncing him by not taking a
Extra-constitutional actions
To do with the present is instructed him to do to follow the law and president books handbook now means you are
Essentially betraying him
That's his orientation
The Constitution rule of law that's where we are
And if that's not a break for the Republican Party
To your question
Does it flush Trump out of it if it doesn't he's not flushable
He is a constant
Force
And Republicans will cling to it I think
2
Former Defense secretary Mattis
Words
Forever lasting infamy in Dutchman
Extraordinary statement from the former Defense secretary Jim Mattis who was called
General Mad Dog by the president he did not like that name
I do not like it at all and he saying that this is a stain on our democracy and the truck
Is to blame
For that
We heard President George W bush
Present Electro Biden calling us an Insurrection Liz Cheney saying all inside it and fomented by
The president of the United States the question tonight
What will the Republican Party
Do
Our coverage is going to continue on our 24-hour streaming Network CVS in
You can watch the CBS news.com
Or on our CBS News app
Does any more on your local news on the CBS station this has been a CBS News special report
I'm Norah O'Donnell CBS News Washington
Hello everyone I'm Lana Zak
Thank you for joining me as we have witnessed an assault on our Democratic institutions
And the literal breaching of the US Capitol
But in a symbol of the resiliency of our democracy the Senate house in fact
Reconvene
M400 the President Trump's supporters stormed the US Capitol building
Lawmakers will resume counting Electoral College votes in each state
The count was cut short when rioters breach the capital
We will be monitoring discount and have the very latest
Throughout the evening
This all comes after protesters forced their way into the building
Battling with Capitol Police
They took over offices
Smashed windows
And briefly entered the Senate chamber at least one person was killed and others have been injured
The House and Senate were evacuated ultimately hoelting the counting process
Fbi police and National Guard have all been called in
DC is under curfew until Thursday morning
President Trump released a pre-taped video in response to the protest
He told his mom of supporters quote go home we love you
You're very special
He also repeated his false claims that the election was stolen
Meanwhile president-elect Biden addressed Americans live from Wilmington Delaware
He said our democracy was quote under unprecedented assault
And added that America is
So much better than this
For more on all of this was bringing Charles Marino he's a CEO of Sentinel Security Solutions he's
Also a former Secret Service
Supervisory special agent
And former Department of Homeland Security advisor
Charles this is a dark day in American history but I have to think that we're going to get
Through this
First of all let's just
Talk a little bit about the overall security at the US Capitol do we know why it took so long for
For Capitol Police and other law enforcement
To respond I think of these images that we have seen
Are really shocking that this is our US Capitol and that it could be breached
Shocking is Right Lana thanks for having me this was no doubt a national-security failure in a very real threat
To the continuity-of-government we saw that play out we had the vice president Speaker of the House on the floor we had other
House and Senate leadership in the area as well and similar to the White House the US Capitol
It's not a building that you expect to be breached and especially do not want to have to be in a position
Where you take it back from an individual let alone a large group that acted like an Insurgency
That we saw earlier today we saw the collapse of the outer middle
And ultimately the inner perimeter of the security plan
Based on the determination of the protesters combined with a lack of overall
Forschner resources able to slow down the protesters
To the Ender perimeter of security eventually they were overwhelmed at the Capitol Police
We're left with having to evacuate all of the members of Congress and the Secret Service with evacuating
Vice president
Well and we know what an exceptional job the Capitol Police do day-in-and-day-out but
Give me directions for tease
What you believe would have been the best way for law enforcement to have D escalated or handled the situation before it got
That's a lot of ham
Yeah I think the overall intelligent picture here is comes into play in terms of preparation for events like
Like that so for example we knew that there was going to be a rather large rally
In the vicinity of the ellipse that the president was going to win 10
Unfortunately the president's rhetoric has to come into that intelligence picture
We know what the president was going to say to his group of supporters
As well as those like Rudy Giuliani who said
Maybe we should have a trial of the election by combat
These words do nothing but Insight so to take all of this into the overall intelligence picture combined
With the number of attendees I think there's probably should have been some more robust
Security planning to include pushing that perimeter of the US Capitol out even more
You mentioned that quote from the president's advisor and lawyer Rudy Giuliani
Combat
Obviously we didn't know that he was going to say that but we did know that this was that this
Planned protests was supposed to take place we knew that President Trump and his supporters have been
Stoking this on Rust
Do you have concerns given all this about our nation's National Security
Given how quickly this turned violent given how
How quickly it seemed like law enforcement had to cede control for a moment while they were waiting for
Yeah well what it what it exposes Lana is it exposes the vulnerability now or adversaries they don't
Necessarily need to be a large group of people were able to make their way in
To what is normally a very secure location
Further than that we saw in evolution of additional threats take place like suspicious packages and devices
Throughout the greater Washington DC area
So that leaves us very vulnerable
But as you said you know there wasn't an overall lack of National Guard
For example of other law enforcement agencies like the metropolitan DC police department
Secret Service the FBI
So this is certainly going to be looked at from a planning standpoint
Where you have almost similar to the State of the Union
Weirton National special security event run by the Secret Service
I think AAA model like that will be looked at going forward
Where you have a large amount of leadership
And the continuity of government in play at one location at any one time
Charles help us understand a little bit about all the various levels of law enforcement that
Exist in the in a situation like that since you mentioned National Guard we talked about DC capitol
There's also the Washington DC metropolitan police
Who is responsible for mobilizing these various aspects of law enforcement and
They just not called in soon enough
The quick answer is they were called in soon enough they weren't part of the overall security plan intern
Cohesive
During the certification of the election so as a result
Many of these adjoining agencies responded DC as you know
Is Rich with law enforcement agencies there are numerous agencies that all have specific
Responsibilities at the federal level
Route number the local police department at that the metropolitan DC police department
The question is how did these agencies all come together under what construct If This Were
Declared a national special security event today for example
The Department of Homeland Security the secretary there would have designated
The event has a national special security event it would have been signed off by the gang of eight on the hill and the secrets
Service would have brought all of these resources together
What we saw today was that the Capitol Police operated like it was every other day at the Capitol
Large adjoining protest group
That was going to be on the ellipse to listen to the president but they operated like they normally did in terms of
Picturing the capital whereas
Maybe some additional resources should have been brought in
Planning process
So we heard President Trump tape a message to his supporters that were there
Rioting at the Capitol he didn't
Say
That
He was conceding the election he continued
To Peddle this misinformation that that he won in a landslide which we know is false
And and many of the rhetoric that actually Stokes this emotion or that at least is
That we have heard from many of the protesters are rioters this angry mob
Believing
Give another president and his supporters continue to do this
I'm wondering about the future of other events like this and what types of security concerns you saying
You think people in charge need to be need to be considering now for the future if you expect that moron
These types of activities might impact
Occurrence not at the US Capitol been
At other places throughout the country
Like I said earlier a lot of your right I mean the last person you expect to incite violence is the command
Mandarin Chief this is a
A very unique position that we find ourselves unfortunately in this country
You can't say is the president does that you support law enforcement but then Insight groups to act out against
Law enforcement and ultimately caused the problems that we saw today for the Capitol Police
And then on the flip side you have the president-elect
Delivering the message that we would expect
Former commander-in-chief
That this is not tolerable behavior from citizens of this country
Law enforcement by truly trying to deescalate
So the fact that we need to take the
The president's rhetoric into account
And as we prepare for these types of events I think and hope that is is going to be unique
Relay to the president here and hopefully we won't have to take that into consideration
Iteration going forward which I doubt we will
Washington DC is now under curfew what can we expect to see overnight and into the more
Yes of the mayor of DC impose a 6 p.m. curfew when it don't let that go over 60
I think they'll start to enforce at and become more more strict
Overtime
So we'll see a lot of the resources the National Guard metropolitan DC police department impose that
Few and trying and break up the crowd
To make sure there's no more problems in DC but it will certainly take time
Also I know that Congress wants to get back tonight to consider the process of certifying the
Electromode
We want to take you now to Capitol Hill where lawmakers are reconvening to count Electoral College votes after protesters
Stormed the US Capitol earlier and halted proceedings
This process will certify the results of the 20
Equity presidential election we here now Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell speak English
Will of the American people
I'm counting the Electoral College vote
We fulfilled a solemn Duty
Every four years
For more than $0.02
Weather Nations been at War
Oar peace
Under all manner of threats
Even during an ongoing
Ongoing armed rebellion and the Civil War
The Clockwork
Of our democracy
Has carried on
United States
And United States Congress that place down much greater threads
Dundee unhinged
Krowd
We saw today
We've never been to church before
And will be not deterred
Today
They tried to
Disrupt our democracy
They fail
PayPal
They failed to attempt to obstruct the Congress
This failed Insurrection only underscores how crucial
The task before us is
For our Republic
Our nation was founded precisely
Show that the free choice
Of the American people
Is what shapes
Are self-government
Undetermined
The destiny
Abomination
Not fair
But the peaceful expression
Other popular will
That we assemble this afternoon to count our citizens votes in to formalize their choice
Of the next president
Now we're going to finish exactly what we started
Will complete the process
The right way
By the book
We'll follow our president to our laws
Had our constitution
To the letter
And we will
Certify
The winner
Of the 20
20 presidential
Collection
Criminal Behavior
Will never
Dominate the United States Congress
This institution is resilient
Are democratic-republican straw
The American people
Deserve
Nothing left
Democratic leader
Mr. president
Is very very difficult
Put into words what has transpired today
I have never lived through or even imagine
Experience
Like the one
We have just witnessed
In this capital
President Franklin Roosevelt set aside December 7th 1941
As a day that will live
In infamy
Unfortunately
We can now add January 6th
2021
To that very short list of dates in American history
That will live
Forever
In infamy
This Temple to democracy was desecrated
Its Windows smashed our offices vandalized
The world saw Americans elected officials hurriedly ushered out
Because they weren't harmed
Which way
The House and Senate floors
We're places of shelter until the evacuation is was ordered
Leaving Riders
2 *
These hallowed Halls
Lawmakers in are stabs
Average citizens who love their country serve it everyday
Feared for their lives
I understand that one woman was shot and tragically lost her life
We mourn her
And feel for her friends and family
These images
We're projected to the world
Foreign embassies cables Home their Capital their home capitals to report
The harrowing scenes at the very heart
About democracy
This will be a stain on our country
Not so easily washed away
The final
Terrible
Angelica
Indelible Legacy
Of the 45th president
The United States
Undoubtedly
Or worse
I want to be very clear
Those who perform these reprehensible acts cannot be called protesters
No
These were riders in insurrectionists
Goons and thugs
Domestic
Terrorists
They do not represent America
They were a few thousand violent extremist to try to take over the Capitol building and attack our democracy
They must and should
Be prosecuted to the full extent of the law
Hopefully by this Administration
If not
Certainly by the next
They should be they should be provided
No
Leniency
I want to thank the many of the Capitol Hill Police and Secret Service and local police who kept us safe today
And work to clear the capital
And returned it to its rightful owners and its rightful purpose
I want to thank the leaders
Democrat and Republican
House and Senate
It was speaker Pelosi leader McConnell
Leader McCarthy in myself
Who came together and decided that these thugs would not succeed
That we would finish the work of our Constitution that our constitution requires us to complete
In the very legislative chambers of the House and Senate
That would desecrating
But we know always
Belong to the people
And do again
Tonight
But make no mistake
Make no mistake my friends
Today's events did not happen spontaneously
The president to promoted conspiracy theories that motivated these thugs
The presidential exhorted them to come to our nation's capital
Eggman
He hardly ever discourages violence
And more often encourages it
This president
There's a great deal
Of the blame
This mob
Within good part
President Trump's doing
Incited by his words
His lies
This violence in good part
His responsibility
His Everlasting shame
Today's events
Certainly
Would not have happened
Without him
Now January 6th will go down
As one of the darkest days in recent American history
A final warning
Coordination
About the consequences of a demagogic president
The people who enabled him
The captive media that parents his lies
And the people
Follow him
As he attempts to push America
To the brink
A Bruin
As we reconvene tonight
Let us remember
In the end
All this mom has really accomplished is to delay our work by a few hours
We will resume our responsibilities now and we will finish our task tonight
The House and Senate chambers will be restored good as new
And ready for legislating
In short order
The counting of the electoral votes is our sacred Duty
Democracies roots in this nation Rd
They're strong
And they will not be undone
Ever
By a group of thugs
Democracy will Triumph
As it has for centuries
So to my fellow Americans
Who was shocked and appalled by the images on their televisions today
And who are worried about the future of this country
Let me speak to you directly
The divisions in our country clearly Run Deep
But we are resilient
Forward-looking and optimistic people
And we will begin the hard work
I'm preparing this nation tonight
Because here in America
We do hard things
In America
We always
Overcomer
Are challenges
Gilbert
Majority leader
Are you able to manage to the center from Oklahoma Sonya Langford
Senator from Oklahoma
The vice president
You said things more eloquently than how we stayed in Oklahoma
Oklahoma weed say something like what in God's name
Would someone think attacking law enforcement in occupying United States capitol
Is the best way to show that you're right
Why would you do that
Riders and thugs don't run the capital where the United States of America
We disagree on a lot of things and we have a lot of Spirited debate in this room
But we talked it out and we honor each other
Even in our disagreements
That person that person that person is not my enemy that's my fellow American
Why we disagree on things and disagree strongly at times
We do not encourage
What happened today
Ever
I want to join my
Fellow senators and saying thank you to the Capitol Police a law enforcement National Guard the Secret Service
Who stood In Harm's Way while we were here debating
They were pushing back
And I was little interrupted mid-sentence speaking here
Because we're all in aware of what was happening right outside this room
Because of their faithfulness
And because what they have done
And I want to thank you then
Thank them
Ronald Reagan once said
Peace is not the absence of conflict
It is the ability to handle conflict
By peaceful means
Peaceful people in my state in Oklahoma want their questions answered
But they don't want this what happened today
I want to do the right thing
And I also want to do it the right way
They went on to honor the Constitutional process but they also won't have debate about election security because they want to make sure it's right
Which is why it's an important issue that still needs to be resolved
Transparency in government just doesn't seem like a bad idea
Obviously the commission
That we have asked for is not going to happen at this point
And understand that
And we're headed towards tonight
What's desertification
Joe Biden be the president of the United States
And we will work together
In this body
To be able to stay peaceful example
The days ahead
Are you the floor
Democratic leader
Senator from Nevada senator Cortez masto
Senator from Nevada
Mister vice president
I know that this room is full of leaders of both parties
Love this country and many believe that for America to succeed
R politics must
Find common ground
And that has never been
Clear
Then today
When armed rioters storm the US Capitol
Emboldened by President Trump
False and inflammatory rhetoric
About the 2020 election
I believe that we in this chamber have a special Duty as leaders
The work together to lower
The temperature
R politics
And I hope that my colleagues would question the legitimacy of this election
In Arizona
And follow these other states now see the dire and dangerous consequences
A sewing
Doubt
And uncertainty
I also know that as US senators we all take solemnly the oath we swear
To support and defend the Constitution of the United States
Against all enemies
Foreign and domestic
At this moment in history
I can think of nothing more patriotic
Then renewing our faith
In the charters of freedom
That our founding fathers crafted for our Republic
Starting with a fundamental American principle in our Declaration of Independence
That governments
Derive their just powers
From the consent of the governed
The people have spoken in this election
And our only job here today
It should do what they at
It is not to argue
Election security
That's not the place
For what we are doing today
Our constitution specifically reserves to the people
The right to meet in their respective States
And vote for the President and Vice President
As a result
Individual states oversee and implement the election process
Not the federal government
To guard against fraud or irregularities in the voting process
The state
Are required to have robust election security measures
Likewise
State legislators have the opportunity to examine evidence of voter fraud
Before they certified
Their Electoral College votes
Andar Court
From district courts to the United States Supreme Court
Adjudicate legal challenges at election dispute
All of those things
Happened
After the 2020 election
Steakhouses in courts across the country took allegations of voter fraud seriously
And follow the Constitutional process to hear challenges to this year's election
No state
Found evidence of any wide
Spread voter fraud
And neither did any Court asked to review the state's finding
In Arizona
Republican Governor Doug Ducey
Democratic Secretary of State
Katie Hobbs
Republican attorney general Mark brnovich and
State supreme court Chief Justice
Robert brutinel all certify the results of the election
On November 30th
And we know we have heard Arizona's have been voting by mail for almost 30 years
And Governor Ducey
Has expressed confidence in the state's process numerous times in November he said
We do elections well here in Arizona
The system is strong and that's why I have bragged on it so much
He further stated
We have some of the strongest election laws in the country
Laws that prioritize accountability and clearly lay out our procedures for conducting
Canvassing and even contesting
The results
And they're right
Arizona has one of the most transparent election processes in the country
With built-in accountability
Starting
With eternal
Auditing
We have heard unfounded allegations that voting machines in Arizona and elsewhere
Somehow changed vote tallies
Or somehow improperly rejected ballots while cleaning to accept them
These allegations all ignore the fact
That Arizona counties
Conducted ballot audits by hand
The double check the machine counts
I need audits found no widespread fraud
Or irregularities
Maricopa County
The county where that more than 60%
August 8th
Population resides conducted a post-election
Ham County Auditor
In the week after the election
Which showed
Perfect 100% accuracy
In the machine tabulations
Why would we need my colleagues
To call for a 10-day emergency audit to be conducted by a legislative commission when it's already been done by
By the state of Arizona
What happened to states rights
The audit involves checking ballots for the presidential election but also balance for federal
And State Legislative elections
The audit report shows every Precinct machine and hand count totals for each of the races audited
And for every single raisin every Precinct
The difference between the hand count in the machine count
Was 0
Maricopa's audit report
Faded
No discrepancies were found by the hand count
Auditboard
Seeking to find any reason to contestes results
Some Republicans and try to claim the Maricopa County fail to follow state law
In conducting this audit
By selecting voting Center locations to audit instead of
Voting
Precinct
This was wrong
And this too went to Accord
In rejecting this claim State Court in Arizona found at the county
Swallowed the properly issued guidance on hand audit procedures from the Arizona secretary
Estate
And the court found that Maricopa County officials there for
Could not lawfully have perform the hand count audit the way the plaintiff wanted it done
If he had done so
They would have exposed themselves to criminal punishment
The Senators 5 minutes is
Expired vice-president I would close by just saying
Please
My colleagues do not disenfranchised
The voters of Arizona
And certify their votes
Tonight
Thank you
Charlie later
Misread that I healed up to 5 minutes to the senator from Utah said early
Senator from Utah
Mr. president
And at the time I prepare my remarks
For today
It seems like a lifetime ago
A lot's changed in the last 2 hours
So
I'm going to deliver
Some of the same remark
But it has a little bit of a different feel
Then it would have just a few hours ago
My thoughts and prayers go out
To the
Family members of those who have been injured
4 killed today
My heartfelt gratitude goes out to
The Capitol Hill Police who valiantly defended our building
End
Our Lives
Well it's true that
Legitimate concerns
Have been
REI
Microgard
The House of the key Battleground States conducted their presidential elections
This is not the end of the story
We have to remember that we
Fernando to Apple protect
And defend
This
Written
Nearly two-and-a-half centuries ago by the way wise men raised up by God
DeBary
That document makes clear what our rule is
And what it isn't
It makes clear
Who does what
When it comes to deciding presidential election
UC because
In our system of government
President
Are not directly elected
They're chosen by preferential elect
The Constitution makes very clear
Under
Article 2 Section 1
Bet the states
Shall appoint presidential electors
According to procedures that their legislature
Pictures developed
Then comes the 12th Amendment
That explains what we're doing here today in the capital explains
That the president of the Senate the vice president of the United States
Open the ballast
MW
Kelvin be counted it's those words
They confine Define
Unconstrained
Every
Scrap of authority we have in this process
Our job
Is the open
And then count
Open
Then count
That's it
That's all there is
There are of course rare instance
Instances in which
Multiple
Slate of electors can be submitted by the same state that doesn't happen very often
Happened in 1960 it happened
N1876
Let's hope it doesn't ever happen again in those rare moments
Congress has to make a choice it has to decide
Which of the electoral vote
Will be counted in which will not
That did not happen here
Thank heavens and let's hope that it never does
Many of my colleagues
Have raised
Objection
Show or had previously stated their intent to raise objections
With regard to
I expended enormous time on this issue over the last few weeks
I've met with lawyers
On both sides of the issue
Met with lawyers representing the Trump campaign
Reading everything I could find about the Constitutional Provisions in question
And I've spent a lot of time on the phone
With legislators and other leaders from the contested States
I didn't initially declare my position
Because I didn't get have one
I wanted to get the facts first and I wanted to understand what was happening
I wanted
Give
The people
Serving in government
In the contested States
Opportunity to do
Whatever they felt they needed to do to make sure that their election
Was properly reflected
I spent an enormous amount of time reaching out to state government officials
Endo's
Statesboro
In none of the contested States no not even one
Did
Idiscover
Any indication
That there was any chance that any state legislature
Or Secretary of State
Or Governor or lieutenant governor
Had any intention
To alter the Slate of electors
That being the case
Our job
Is a very simple one
This simply isn't how our federal system is supposed to work
That is to say
If you have concerns with the way that an election
In the presidential race was handled in your state
The appropriate responses to approach your state legislators
First and foremost
These protests
Chicago from hearing from those
Who have raised concerns
They should have been focused on their state capitol
Northern Nation Podcast
Because our role is narrow
Our role is defined our role is limited
Yes we are the election judges
When it comes to members elected to our own body and yes the House of Representatives
They're the judges of their own races there
We also have the authority to prescribe as a
Rules governing the time place and manner
Of Elections for senators and representatives
There is no corresponding
With respect to presidential election
Numb
What
So ever it doesn't exist our job
Easter convene
The open the balance
And discount them
That's it
Thank you mister president
Democratic leader
Colorado
Senator from Colorado
Thank you
Mr. vice president thanks
Enterprise in college
It's been a terrible day
For everybody
Hiiraan
Infocorp
One of the things I was thinking about today is something I often feel
Think about
When I'm on this floor we
Which is
That the founders of this country the people
That wrote our constitution
Actually knew our history better than we
No hardest
But I was thinking about that history
Today is we saw
The mob riot
And washing
Mcdc thinking about what the founders were thinking about
When they wrote our constitution
What happened to the Roman Republic
When armed gang
Doing work for politicians
Prevent it
Room
From casting their ballot
Rapunzel
4 Prater
For Senator
These were the offices in Rome
And these armed gang
Ran through the streets of Rome
Keeping election
From being started
Keeping elections
Remember
Being called
And in the end
Because of that
The Roman Republic fell and a dictator
Tickets place
And that was the end of
The Roman Republic or any Republic for that matter
Until this beautiful Constitution
With written
In the United States
America
So it is my fervent hope that the way that we were
Respond
Do this today
My dear colleague
Is that we give
The biggest bipartisan vote we can
In support of our democracy
And in support of our constitution
Edit rejection for what we saw
Today and what
The Roman Republic saw
In its own time there's a tenancy around this place
I think
To always believe that were the first people to confront something one that seldom the case
Underappreciated
What the effect of our actions will be
We need to deeply appreciate in this moment Our obligation to the concert
Obligation to the democracy
Obligation
To The Republic
There are people in this chamber that have
Twisted the word
Bubba statue Britain in the 19th century that was meant
Text Lee sedol are electoral.
To leave them with the states
Elsa senator from Utah with say
To give us a ministerial role except
Very rare
Circumstances that's what that law
Isabel
Did the senator
Talking about
And that's the lord it's leading us to the ass
To overturn the judgments of 60 quarts
In America
Courts in Arizona
Some of whom have
Have how
The presidents lawyers out of the courtroom
Because there's no evidence of fraud
And by the way the fact that
37% of 39% of America
Sick there's no evidence of fraud
Order think they're 7 support does not mean there is strong
If you turned a blind eye
2 conspiracy theory you can't now come
To the floor of the
You're ignoring the people
Who believed the
The election was stolen
Go outside and tell him the truth
What does that every single member of the Senate knows
This election
She wasn't stolen
And that
We just as in the Roman Republic have
Responsibility
To protect the independence of the Judiciary
From politicians who will stop at nothing
To hold on
The power
There's nothing new about that either
That's been true since the first Republic
Which founder
So now we find ourselves in the position
Just days after
Many senators are sworn oath
To uphold and defend the Constitution
Contrition
Every single member of the House of Representatives
Who are the same Moses well
Eric we got a solemn obligation in response
Civility here
To prove
Once again
That this country
Is a nation of laws
And not of men
And the only result
Then we can reach together
Is one that rejects
The claim of the senator from Texas and the other
Members of the House
And Senate who seek to overturn
The decisions that are made by the states
By the voters in the states and by the court if we
Follow what day is proposed
We will be the one
It will have disenfranchised every single person
Cast of vote in this election
Weather went they voted for the president
Or they didn't
I urge you to reject
This and I deeply appreciate
The opportunity to serve with every single one of you
Thank you mister president
Majority leader
Olympic 5 minutes is it Center from Georgia Senator Loeffler
Senator from Georgia
Mr. president
When I arrived and wash
However the events
Today at 4
The violence
The lawlessness
Of the halls of car
Importance
Is a direct attack on
Variance
My objective
My objection was
Intended to protect
The sanctity of the mm
And I think law
Keeping us safe
I believe that there were last-minute changes to the November
Election process in
Serious irregularities that resulted in
Too many Americans losing
Confidence not only in the
Integrity of our lecture
But in the power
Of the ballot
As a tool of democracy
Too many Americans are frustrated at what they see as an unfair system
Nevertheless there is no excuse for the events
Took place in
East Chambers today
And I pray that America never suffer
The dark day again
Do the fate of this vote is
Clear
The future of America
People's faith
In the core institution of this democracy remains uncertain
Where's the body must turn our Focus to
Protecting the Integrity of our election
And restoring every American
Faith that they're both
Their voice and their
America is a divided country with
Sirius differ
But it is still the greatest come
Country on Earth
There can be no disagreement
Instead of holding democracy is the
The only pasta
Preserving our
Republic
Democratic leader
Booker
2 and 1/2
Senator from Virginia
I applied the comments of my colleague from Georgia
Deeply
My first job after school was in Macon Georgia
Working for a federal judge Lanier Anderson
And I learned a lot about integrity
And a lot about Law Firm
I also learned some sad lesson
That in the history of Georgia and indeed Virginia and many states
So many people especially people of color have been disenfranchised over the course of our history
Or like friend John Lewis congressman from Georgia
Was savagely beaten
On Bloody Sunday just for Marching for voting rights
That act of violence inspired this part of the US Senate
To come together in March of 1965 and worked to pass
In a bipartisan
Fashion
The Voting Rights Act
We should be coming together today
After acts of violence
As United States Senate
To affirm the votes of all who cast
Dallas
In November
Instead we're contemplating an unprecedented objection
That would be a massive disenfranchisement
Of American
Boaters
The Georgia result was very clear
A 12.000 vote margin
Two certifications by Republican officials
Four separate recounts
Canvases
7 lawsuit
As any other states
If we objector results like this the message is so clear
We are staying two states
No matter how secure and accurate your elections are
Will gladly
Overthrow them if we don't like who you voted for
But more importantly what will be saying
Really what will be doing
Is as the body that acted together to guarantee
Americans the right to vote
We will become the agent
Of one of the most massive
Disenfranchisement
In the history
Largest country
So I urge
All of my college
Please oppose.
Thank you not yield to my colleague from New Jersey
Senator from New Jersey
Vice president
I can only think of two times in American history that
Individuals late fees to our capital
Stormed our secret Civic spaces
And try to over rent on end and overrun
Discover
One was
In the War of 1812
And the other one was today
What's interesting about the parallel between the two is
They both were waving flags
Twist.
Twin individual
Surrendering Democratic principles to the cult of personality one was a monarch in England
The other with the flags ice all over our Capital including in the hallways and in this room
Thuy single person
Donald Trump
Difference between these two times is 1
Was yet another nation in the history of our country that tried to challenge
United States of America
But this time
We brought
This hell
Upon
Ourself
A colleague from Texas said that this was a moment where
Unprecedented allegations of voter fraud
That is true
They were on president when the president before the election even happen said if I lose this election
Then the election was rigged
Unprecedented
If I'm president before the 9th
Was even done that he called it rigged
Is impressing to use Fanning the Flames of conspiracy theory
Create a smokescreen in this nation
Harbor what he is trying to do which is undermined
Or Democratic principle but it's not
Just that the shame of this day is a thing Aiden
Abetted
I could Americans who are falling prey
Court ruling Trump over
Horse for rendering
The passion
Applies as opposed to standing up and speaking truth
The power who are trying to fundraise
Off of the shame of conspiracy theories as opposed
To doing the incalculably
Valuable
Patriotic thing to speak truth to our nation
Our democracy is wounded and I saw it when I saw pictures of yet another Insurgency
The flag of another group of Americans who tried to challenge our nation I saw the flag of the Confederacy
See there
What will we do how will we confront this shame how
Where we confront
This is dark
Second time in American history
I pray
Did we remember a George
His words all I can say is
We must experience going together like those
Georgians
On a bridge called The Edmund Pettus who join hands were called
Democracy who are called
Outrageous epithets
When they sought to expand or tomorrow
Steven Hewlett
When they joined arm and arm and said what we should say now commit ourselves
To that ideal
Put together we shall
Overcome
Majority leader
His friend are you up at 5 minute
Nebraska
Senator from Nebraska
Mr. president thank you
And Mister vice president let me just say before begin
Thank you for the way you were fulfilled
Your constitutional duties in your oath of office today obviously
Hasn't been easy
Colleagues
Today's been ugly
And
When I
Came to the floor this morning
I plan to talk about
The lesson of 1801
Cuz I'm kind of History nerd
And I wanted to celebrate the glories of the peaceful transition of power
Across our nation's history
Feels a little naive now to talk about
Ways that American Civics might be something that could unite us and bring us back together 1801 blue everybody's mind
All over the world by the way
John Adams loses to Thomas Jefferson
And
Adams
Willingly leaves the executive mansion and moved back to Massachusetts and Jefferson peacefully assumes power
And people all over Europe said
Those must be that must be fake news
Those must be bad reports there's no way
Any executive
Whatever willingly lay down Tower
Annette Adams
In defeat
Did something glorious to give all of us a gift I wanted to celebrate that
It feels a little bit harder now
This building
Has been desecrated
Blood has been spilled
And always
I was with
Octogenarian members of this chamber that needed to have
Troops and police stabilize them
To get down the stairs
At a time when a lot of our stabs were panicked and
Under their desks and not knowing what was going to happen to him it was ugly today
But you know what it turns out that
When something's ugly talkin about beauty isn't just permissible
I'm a beauty it's obligatory
At a time like that
Why
Why would we talk about beauty
After the ugliness of today
Because our kids need to know
This isn't what America is
What happened today
Isn't what America is
They've been given a glorious inheritance
Is the 59th presidential election
The vice-president was in the chair and if the president pro tem was Ivan made some joke that
Chuck Grassley voted in two-thirds of those 59 presidential election
Busy laughing it's not as good as dear dear dead but it still got a Grassley laugh
I don't think
We want to tell the Americans that come after us
But this Republic is broken
This is just a Banana Republic
That our institutions can't be trusted
I don't think we want that we don't want that in this body we don't want that in our hometown
I don't think we want to tell our kids that America's best days are behind us
Because it's not true
That's not Who We Are
America isn't Hatfields and McCoys blood Feud forever
America's Union
There's a lot
It's broken in this country
But not anything that's so big
That the American people can't rebuild it
That freedom
And community
An entrepreneurial effort
And that neighborhoods can't rebuild nothing that's broken is so big that we can't fix it
Generations
Ivar
Forefathers and foremothers
Find out a word our ancestors
Spell blood
To defend the glories of this Republic
Why would they do that
Because America is the most exceptional nation in the history of the world and because the Constitution is the greatest political
Document
That's ever been written
Most governments in the past have said might makes right
And we saw some of that hooligan Metairie today
Might makes right now it doesn't
God gives us rights by Nature
And government is just our shared project to secure those rights
America has always been about what we choose to do together
The way we reaffirm our concert
Attitudinal system
Where we got some governmental tasks and we all in this body could do better at those governmental task
But the heart of America by government
The Center of America is not Washington DC the center of America's the neighborhoods
For 330 million Americans are raising their kids and trying to put food on the table and trying to love their neighbor
That's the Center of America that we're not supposed to be the most important people in America we're supposed to be servant leader to try to maintain
The framework for ordered Liberty
So there's a structure that back home where they live
They can get from the silver frame of structure in order to the Golden Apple at the center
As Washington would have said it which is the things that they build together
The places where they coach little league the places where they invite people to synagogue or church
Sometimes the big things we do today together our governmental
Like chicken Hitler's a sore like going to the Moon
Another is governmental stuff
But the heart of America
Is about places where moms and dads are raising kids
And we're supposed
Serve them
By maintaining order
About rejecting violence
You can't do big things like that if you hate your neighbors
You can't do big things
Together As Americans
If you think other Americans are the enemy
But there's a lot of uncertainty about the future I can get it
There's a lot that does need to be rebuilt
But if you're angry
I want to beg you
Don't let the screamers who monetize hate
Have the final word
Nealis become your drug dealer
There are some who want to burn it all down we met some of them today but they aren't going to win
Don't let them be your profits instead
Organize
Persuade but most importantly
Love your neighbor
Visit the widow or down the street who Lonely No One tell anybody
But his wife died and he didn't have a lot of friends shovel somebody's neighbor
Shovel somebody's driveway
You can't hate somebody who just shoveled your driveway
The heart of life is about community and neighborhood and we're supposed to be servant leaders
The Constitutional system is still the greatest order
For any government ever and it's our job to Stewart it and protect it
Let's remember that today when we vote
Democratic leader
Senator from Illinois
Lawyer
Call the train
The Washington
His name was Abraham Lincoln it wasn't his first trip here
It served as a congressman 15 years
Before any return
Beginning of the Civil War to serve as president
It was a different place than you knew it is Congressman in 15 years and changed a lot
The Springs boarding house across the street which is now the Library of Congress
Gone
And this building was changing
Big changes
They're building a dome on the capitol
But they were also
And the earliest days in war and President Lincoln was console
Stop building the Dome
Cost too much money we can't spend any more time on it
And he said no
We're going to go back to I'm going to finish it
That dome in this building will be a symbol of this country
It will survive the Civil War
And come back strong
So they built the Dome
They won the war
And since those days that dome in this building have been a symbol to this country
Assemble
Of unity
Hand of Hope
Tours come through here before covid-19 by the tens of thousands
If you've ever noticed their tours
They're often
Shush
People are saying show some respect for this building
We know this building in the Rotunda is a place where some of the Greatest American Heroes
Both political parties
Lion state
And we go there to honor them
We know this building because we work here
We enact laws here that changed America
We Gather for State of Union
Messages
Presidents
A lot of the people in the gallery
This is a special place
This is a sacred place
But this sacred
Play
Was desecrated by a mob today
On our watch
This Temple to democracy was defiled by thugs
Roam the halls in
Set in that chair Mr Vice President
The one that you vacated at 2:15 this afternoon
Setting post for pictures
Those who were roaming around this chamber
What brought this on
Is this mob spring spontaneously from America
No
This mob was invited to come to Washington on this day
By this president
For one reason
Because he knew
The Electoral College vote
It's going to be crowded
He wanted this mob to disrupt
The Constitutional process which we are part of
This mob was inspired by a President
Who cannot
Except
Defeat
If you wonder whether I'm going too far and when I say
Just read the transcript
With the secretary of state from Georgia
And listen to this presidents wild conspiracy theory
One after the other
Swatted down by that Republican elected official in his attorney
Is having no basis in fact
This President bags
Coaxes
He even threatened
That's Secretary of State to find the boats he needs
And any other venue that would be a simple
Obvious
Crime
The links you'll go to Robbie's
The Texas senator says to us well many people still agree with him you know
When it gets down to the bottom line
Many people have fallen for this
Presidential
Possession
That it must have been a rigged election if I lost
Well I would say that after
We lost count
57 lawsuits
62 lawsuit I've read so many numbers
After 90 different judges
After this president took his case the best he can put together
To the highest court in the land across the street where he is
Personally chosen
Three justices on the Supreme Court
I seen and senator from Texas you know much more about that court than I do
I don't believe they let that paper that he set up there even hit the desk before they laughed and out of the Court
And that's the best he had to offer
No evidence whatsoever
Of this rigged election in this fraudulent
The senator from Texas says we just want to create a little Commission
10 days
We're going to audit all the states
In Contention here
And find out what actually occurred
And it really draws its parallel 1876 Hayes and Tilden
Don't forget what that Commission
That so-called political compromise
Achieved
It was not just some ordinary
Governmental Commission
It was a commission
The killed Reconstruction
It established Jim Crow
But even after a Civil War which tore this nation apart itri enslaved African-Americans
And it was a commission that invited the voter suppression we're still fighting today
In America
Let me close by saying this
The boat
We're going to have here
Clear Choice
The weather we are going to feed the beast of ignorance
Or we are going to tell the truth to the American people
We saw that Beast today roaming the Halls
Let's not invited
Majority leader
Are you allowed to 5 minutes
Shutterfly
Gatos
Tramarsa
Senator from Kansas
Thank you mister president
Freedom of speech in the freedom to protest are provided in our constitution
NY share the same frustrations many Americans have
Or the presidential election
The violence and MOB rule which occurred at the us at Capitol today
And across the country over the past year unacceptable
And I can dim at the highest level
And like all of us in the chamber I'm thankful for the heroic law enforcement officers
Who works feverishly to restore order so we get back to the electrical certification process
During my 29-year career as an obstetrician and gynecologist too often I had to sit down with patients
Sing them a very bad diagnosis
It might have been a young mother 3 who I delivered all three of her babies
Now with metastatic breast cancer
Or perhaps another woman with Advanced cervical or ovarian cancer
All with a very challenging prognosis
But before I sit down with each one of those patients I carefully reviewed all their labs
Lyrics raising their pathology make sure I had the facts straight
But at the end of the day my final recommendation was always going to be a recommendation from my heart
I want my fellow kansans an All-American suno
That I've given as much consideration and thought surrounding the issue objecting to a state Electoral College votes is
Cuz I did considering the treatment plan for a serious health concern
And today's decision once again
It's from my heart
Mr. president I rise today to restore Integrity to our Republic
Horizon you enjoying the many of our colleagues are all concerned for
For current and future Generations
We must restore faith and confidence in one of our Republic's Motel
Patriotic duties
Boating
There's no question our US Constitution empowers State legislatures to execute
Free legal and fair elections
Unfortunately in several States the clear authority of those state legislature to determine the rules
Voting
Where we were usurped
By governors
Secretaries of states in activist courts
Our laws and Constitution should always be followed
Especially in a time of crisis
I don't rise and do a States legally obtain Electoral College votes
Brother irise in hopes of improving the Integrity of the ballot
The hold States accountable to the time proven constitutional system
How the Electoral College
This is why I ordered the formation of electoral commission to give
Constructive suggestions and recommendation that states can make
Jamaica elections once again
Safe
Free and fair
After a year of jarring irregularities
We must and will have a peaceful transition to power
Do my fellow Americans I have no doubt that our Republican go stronger
Through this difficult day
May God bless this great Republic
Thank you mister president
Are you back
Democratic leader
Senator from Illinois
President
In 2004
I packed up my rucksack
Play suck my boots
And deployed to Iraq
Ready to sacrifice whatever was asked of me
All because I love this nation
Willing to sacrifice my life is
If needed
Because I believe in the sanctity of our electoral system
WeChat declared George W bush
My commander-in-chief
Ironed my wounds
Probably fighting in a war I did not support
On the orders of a president I did not vote for
Because I believed in and I still do believe in
The values Foundation
Because I believe in a government
All
Bye
And for the people
Where voters
Voters
Choose who leads.
Not the other way around
I have spent my entire adult life
Defending our democracy
But I never
Never
Thought it would be necessary to defend it from an attempted violence
Overthrow in our nation's own Capitol building
Well
I refuse to let anyone in touch on instigating chaos
Or inciting violence deter me from carrying out my constitutional duties
You know when my Army buddies and I
Raise your right hand
When the 45 thousand troops
In Arizona raise their right hands
And swore
To protect and defend the Constitution
We did not qualify Aros by saying that we follow orders only when the commander-in-chief with someone whose election
We were happy with
Just like when every
Senator in this chamber was sworn into office
We didn't mutter under our breath that we discharge our duties only when it's served our political interest
Or help us to avoid the wrath of a petty
Insecure wannabe 10 Todd dictator on the precipice of losing
Power and relevance
No
There is no ambiguity here
Joe Biden won the election with a record number of votes
Republican officials Nationwide
Confirm those results including an Arizona
Has has Judge after Trump appointed judge
Even Trump's attorney general admitted
That the United States Department of Justice
Have not found widespread fraud that would have affected
The outcome
Get still
Many of my Republican colleagues are asking us to ignore all of that
With no evidence of Their Own
They're asking us to ignore Court rulings
Ignore Republican election officials and even worse
Ignore the will of the people across this
Bass great
Nation
By trying to overturn this election
They are placing more trust in Reddit conspiracy theories
Over the Constitution
Proving
That appeasing Trump is more important to them
They're protecting the most basic tenets of our Republic
The Terrence
Free
And fair election
There's one thing I know
It's up my troops didn't sign up to defend our democracy in war zones thousands of miles away
Only to watch a crumble
In these hallowed Halls here at home
Get that is what this effort amounts to
An attempt to subvert our democracy
And in the process
It is threatening
What makes America
American
Because in this country
If this country
The power of the people has always mattered more
Then the people in power
That is the idea that this nation was founded upon
That is why a few Patriots threw some tea in Boston
Harbor
Why Washington crossed the Delaware
Why suffragists were arrested a century ago
And why my friend John Lewis cross that bridge in Selma and 19th
65
It is why Millions spent a Tuesday in November
Standing in line
Braving a pandemic
To make their voices heard
Listen
This Administration has always had an advanced
Adversarial relationship with the truth
Trump always cries conspiracy
Always foment chaos
Whenever something doesn't go his way
But today
We here in this chamber
Have the opportunity to prove that here in this country
Truth
Matters
Cutright
Matters
That the will of the people matters more than the whims of any
Single powerful individual
I have no tea to throw in Boston
Harbor tonight
And I regret
But I have no rucksack
2Pac for my country
No Blackhawks appellate
Nor am I asking for any Grand gesture
My Republican colleagues
All that I'm asking of you
It's reflect on the old so you have sworn
On the Damage Done to our union today
And on the sacrifices
May fight those who give it
So much
Participation
And the service members
Fort Huachuca
Marine Corps Air Station Yuma for the Marchers who bet America's moral Arc a bit more towards Justice with
Every single step that they took
Every bridge that they cross
Then ask yourself
Whether the Democracy they were willing to bleed for
The country that each of us in this chamber has sworn to defend
It's worth damaging
In order to protect a porcelain ego
Have a man who treats the Constitution as if it were a little more
The yellowing piece of paper
I think we all know that
Majority leader
Spread out of you after 5 minutes
The dissenter from
Kentucky senator Paul
Senator from Kentucky
I wrote a speech for today I was planning to say that I fear the chaos
Establishing a precedent
The Congress can overturn election
Boy was I right
Chaos Anarchy
The violence today was wrong and on America
The vote we are about to cast is incredibly important
Now more than ever the question is
Should Congress
Override the certified results from the states
And nullify the states rights to conduct a lecture
The vote today is not a protest
The boat today is literally to overturn election
We've been told that this is a protest
What is about an electoral Commission
No it's not
It's about whether to seat the electors that have been certified by a state
It's not about an electoral commission it's not about a protest
You can go outside if you want to protest
This is about
Overturning a state-certified election
If you vote to overturn these elections
Wouldn't it be the opposite of what states rights Republicans have always advocated for him
This would Doom the Electoral College forever
It was never intended bar Founders that Congress have the power to overturn state-certified election
My oath to the Constitution doesn't allow me to disobey the law
I can't vote to overturn the verdict
2 States
Such a vote would be
The overturn everything
Held dear by those of us who support the rights of states
In this great system of federalism
Those boquita by our founders
The Electoral College was created
To devolve the power of selecting presidential electors
To the states
The Electoral College is without question
An Inseparable friend to those who believe
Did every American across our vast country deserves to be our
If Congress were to give
The power to overturn the state's election
What's Herald
We are going to take a quick break now but we'll be right back with the rest of your days news or streaming CBS and CBS News always
We Believe
And we the people
And the way
The people
One of the speakers I think it was the senator from Texas Express
We're here for the people
If those were the people
We are in a lot of trouble
Our electoral system or democratic system
Power but did not break
Under the strain
Of the misinformation
Claims of fraud
Which court after court after court have dismissed
Out of hand
Not because there was a little Evans because there was
No
Evidence
That's why we the longest lasting constitutional democracy in the world
I hope all of us in this body are proud of that
And understand why that's the case
Because
Azteca part sit on this floor many years ago
Democracy
Is a substitute
For war to resolve
Differences
It proved once more than ever beating strong heart that gives life
To our Republic
And are free
That strength
Madam speaker is derived in part from
Patrician
And our laws
But most importantly it is powered by citizens and leaders commitment
To our constitution
Not just us
We swear an oath
But it's all of America
Barack Obama
Spoke from that chamber and he said
I'm going to be
Take another title next year
Citizen
He was proud to take that
And every citizen
Needs to protect preserve and uplift our democracy
Some today did not do that
Many
Today
68 years ago in Springfield Illinois governor
Adlai Stevenson
Gracefully conceded his loss to General Dwight Eisenhower
He said this in traditionally
It is traditionally American
He told his deeply disappointed supporters
The fight hard before an election
But then he
He added it is equally
Traditional
To close ranks as soon as the people
Have spoken. The Congress
Nothing lectors
People
Bespoken
That what unites us
As American citizens is far greater than that which divides us
If political parties
It was another man from Springfield
Four score and eight years
Earlier
Who won re-election to the presidency and the national crisis that tested our country and its Democratic institutions
Who pleaded even in his hour of victory
For The Same Spirit of reconciliation
That was the party of Lincoln
That hasn't happened
To this hour
Lincoln said now that the election is over
He asked
May not all
Having a common interest
Reunite in a common effort
To save our common country
Such as the duty of American who stands for election
Or participate in our politics to be there humble
In Triumph or gracious in defeat
I've lost him election
Not too many
And I hope that I've been gracious
In to feet
And humble in Victory
I hope that I put my state and my country first
I myself
It is clear to all that the outgoing president is not followed the path
The Stevenson
And Lincoln
Urged
So we the funk
People
Each one of us represents about 700
50 to 800 thousand people
What's up with you
The people
And I've spoken
In the way that our constitution
Set for them to be
Heard
By us
And by the country
Devoted
And they voted pretty decisively
We the people together must turn away from division
And it's dangerous
The senior member of our
Body
Don Young from Alaska
Spoke the other day
When we were sworn in and said
Ladies and gentlemen of this house we are so divisive
That it's going to destroy our country we need to reach out and hold one another's hands
We all have a tail that we honor more than any other
Perhaps parent perhaps husband but
We are all America
Not Americans are not Americans d
We are America
Let's hope today that
Tonight
So we Act
Like
American
Not as Dee's and ours but his American
Justice algor Just as
Hillary Clinton
Justice Adlai Stevenson Justice Abraham Lincoln had won that election of course
But are you defeated people he said
That's not the issue
The issue is to reunite
We the People
Must again be the strong heart of American to Mike
We the people on this day in Congress must be agents of unity and constructive action
The face the grave threats that confront us and tell those who insult our capital
That is not the American way
Very narrow circumstances that
Also provided for in the law and yet
Last year
Pennsylvania elected official passed a whole new law
That allows Universal mail-in ballot
And did it
Irregardless of what the Pennsylvania Constitution
And then when Pennsylvania citizens
Tried to go and be heard on this subject
Before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court
They were dismissed
On grounds of procedure timeliness
In violation of that Supreme Court's own
Precedent
So the merits of the case have never been heard
The constitutionality of the statute actually has never been defended I'm not aware of any court that
Spasso's constitutionally actually not aware of anybody who has defended the cost
Fattoush anality
And this was what this was the Statute that govern
This last election which are over 2.5 million
Mail-in ballots in
This is my point
That
This is the Forum
Pennsylvania Supreme Court hasn't heard the case
There's no other court to go to to hear the case in the state
And so this is the appropriate place
For these concerns to be raised
Which is why I have raised them here today
And I hope that this body
Will not miss the opportunity
To take affirmative action
To address
The concerns of so many millions of Americans to say to millions of Americans tonight
Violence is never warrant
Violence will not be tolerated that those who engage in it will be processed
But this body will act to address
The concerns of all Americans across the country
We do need
An investigation
Into irregularities
Broad we do need
A Way Forward together we need election security reform
I got my friends on the other side of the aisle don't disagree with
We need to find a way to move forward on that together
But the American people from both parties all walks of life can have confidence
In their elections
And we can arrange ourselves
Under the rule of law that we share
Craigslist Fresno
Democratic leader
Senator from Pennsylvania
Sylvania
Senator for Pennsylvania
I rise tonight to defend
The people of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
To defend the more than 6.9 million voters
Who voted this election
End of condemned
In the strongest possible terms
This attempt to disenfranchise
The voters of Pennsylvania
Based upon a lie
A falsehood
That same lie
Sow the seeds
Today's violence
And today's lawlessness
Here in the capital
One of my constituents
Susan from the Lehigh Valley
The community of our state where Senator Toomey lives
Recently wrote to my office
And perhaps said it best she said and I quote
We cannot allow
Anybody
To overturn the legal votes of the citizens of
Pennsylvania
This would be the ultimate
Destruct
Of our democracy
Encore
Susan had it right
We cannot allow
Anybody and she put that word in all caps
To overturn the legal votes
Of the people of our state
Let me address the allegation
Regarding the
Pennsylvania Constitution
And the general assembly
Somehow that the general assembly didn't have the authority
To enact
No excuse mail-in
Voting
Thought process for
The people of our state
First
The law in question
Ask 77
Was passed in 2019
And was implemented without any serious question
As to its constitutionality
The law was passed by a Republican
Control
General Assembly House and Senate
It was only after the 2020 election
When it became clear the President elect Joe Biden
One Pennsylvania
By little more than 80000 votes
Did some Republican politicians in our state
Decide
The challenge
The constitutionality of the law
Second
X77 is
Plainly Constitution
My colleagues allege that the
State constitution requires
In-person voting
Except under
Limited circumstance
This is not true
While Pennsylvania lays out specific situation
In which absentee voting is required
There is no
In-person requirement
Interstates
Constitution
The Constitution set up
A floor
Not a ceiling
For this type of voting
Second
Apart from the argument made by my colleague
There's bipartisan agreement across our state
At the local state and federal level
That our election was fair
Secure
And waffle
On Monday
My colleague from Pennsylvania
Senator Toomey
Wrote in an op-ed and I'm quoting
The evidence is overwhelming
The Joe Biden
Won this election
Unquote
There's simply no evidence
To justify
The outrageous claims
Widespread voter fraud or election irregularities
Suggesting
Suggested by those
Seeking to overturn the election
60 cases Court after court
All throughout our state and throughout the country including
The Supreme Court
Dealing with this bizarre argument
That we know is
Based upon
That
Why
In one quart
United States court of appeals for the third Circuit Judge Biba's
Appointed by President Trump
He said quote
The campaign's claims have
No merit unquote
The United States He said
Has free and fair elections
Which are the lifeblood of our democracy
Charges require
Specific allegations
And then proof
We have
Neither
Here unquote
So sad judge Beavis
Find the mr. president
A word about those election officials who did such work
These election officials all across our state
Republicans and Democrats
From Red counties in blue County
They did their jobs
They are patriots
And these objects
RN attack
I need
Pennsylvania public servants
Give you one example
Republican
Commissioner
Al Smith
Now Smith I should say I'm Philadelphia
He wrote and I said
Eroticize
As follows
Quote
The really should not be a disagreement
Regardless of party affiliation
We're talking about counting votes by eligible voters
It's not a very controversial thing
Or at least
It shouldn't be unquote
After election day
Commissioner Al Schmidt
His family and his colleagues
We're subjected to
Deathrun
Simply because
He was trying to do his job
With integrity
Calls to mine
Mr. president
That great line from America the Beautiful oh beautiful
For Patriot dream
Bitsy's
Beyond the years
These election officials like so many of our Patriots
We heard from
Senator Duckworth tonight a real Patriot
These Patriots
Did their job
Let's support these Patriots
Vote against
This objection
I already later
Are you in 5 minutes
From Utah senator Romney
Senator from Utah
Mr. president
Today was heartbreaking
And and I was shaken to the Core
As I thought about the people I met in China and Russia and Afghanistan and Iraq and other places who yearned for freedom
And looked at this building
Andy Shores
As a place of hope
And I saw the images being broadcast around the world
And it breaks my heart
525 grandchildren many of them were watching TV
Thinking about this building what are their grandpa was okay
Are you guys okay
I must tell you as well I was
Proud
The Serb
But these men or women
There's an extraordinary group of people
I'm proud to be
Member of the United States Senate
I'm beat with people of integrity
As we do here today
Now we gather
Do do a selfish man's injured Pride
And the outrage of supporters who he has deliberately misinform for the past 2 months and stirred to action this very morning
What happened here today was an insurrection
Inside about the president of the United States
Those who choose to continue to support his dangerous Gambit by objecting to the results of a legitimate democratic election
Will forever be seen
As being complicit
In an unprecedented attack against our
Fairly or not
They'll be remembered for their role in the shameful episode
In American history
That will be their legacy
I salute
Senator Lankford
Loeffler and Brawn and dance and I'm sure others
Who in the light of the day's outrage
Have withdrawn their
Freddy Who Remain insisted on an audit in order to satisfy the many people who believe that the Alexa
It was stolen
I'd offer this perspective
No Congressional audit
Is ever going to convince
These voters
Protect me when the president will continue to say that the election was stolen
The best way we can show respect
For the voters who were upset
Is by telling them the truth
That's the burden
That's the duty of leadership
The truth is that president-elect Biden won the election
President Trump lost
I bet that express myself
It's no fun
Scores of course the president's own attorney general state election officials both Republican and Democrat have reached that on
Equivocal decision
And in light of today's sad circumstances I ask my colleague do we
Where on political fortunes more heavily than we weigh the strength of our Republic
The strength of our democracy
And the cause of freedom
What's the weight of personal acclaim
Compared to the weight of conscience
Leader McConnell said that the vote today is the most important in his 36 years of Public Service
Think of that
Authorizing to lures
Boat again to impeach
He said that not because the vote reveals something about the election
It's because this vote reveal something about us
Average by colleagues to move forward
With completing the Electoral count
To refrain from further objection
And unanimously affirmed the legitimacy
Of the presidential election
Thank you mister president
Democratic leader
Senator from New Hampshire
Senator Shaheen
Senator from New Hampshire
Mr. president
On January 3rd
I along with 31 of my colleagues
Stoughton this chamber
And swore an oath
To support and defend
The Constitution of the United States
It's both ironic and deeply disappointing
That only 3 days
After swearing these Jose
Some of my colleagues
Are willful
Coming close
To Breaking this
Since 1797
US president
Has peacefully handed over power to the next
And that will happen again
On January 20th
When Donald Trump
Despite
The protesters today the violence today
Donald Trump leaves the White House at noon
And Joe Biden becomes
And we've heard tonight from
Both
Democrats and
About the importance
The boater speaking
And they lack
And about the fact that there is no evidence
Have
Widespread voter fraud
But this is not just an issue
Shoe for us here in
States
This is an issue for nascent democracies around the world
Who was Senator Romney said
Look to the United States as an example
We are
The Shining City on the hill
We give those struggling under oppression
Hope for a better future
Now like so many of us in
Chamber
I travel to
Developing democracies around the world
To Afghanistan and Iraq
To the Western Balkans
To Africa
2
The country
Of Georgia
I went there with
Mycollege Senator rich
In 2012 we went to Georgia
To observe
Officially
On behalf of
The Senate
The election
Between
Outgoing president Mikhail Saakashvili
And his
United national movement party
And the challenge
By Georgia
George and dream
Which was the newly-formed party
Supported
And funded by billionaire oligarch
Budino
The banished
It was a battle
For Parliament but also for control of the government
Senator risch and I visited multiple polling places on Alexa
Sunday
And we agreed with the international assessment
That that election
What's free and fair
And the Georgian Dream
Were the winners
But there was real concern in the
That sucks really
Was going to refuse to give up power
That
That would lead to violence
It would end
The nascent Democratic reforms that were happening in that former Soviet
And
So Senator risch and I
The day after the election
Went to visit
President Saakashvili
To try and talk him out of
Staying in
Power
I remember very clearly going to his home
And we sat down with him and
We pointed out
That the Hallmark of a democracy what he had work so hard for
His eight years
As president
Georgia
The Hallmark of that was
The turnover power
In a peaceful
To the person that the voters
Chose
Well
Presents Takashi
He did leave office
But
It's important
That
Future generation
Recognize
That America
Like
Democracy
He's everywhere
Depends on
A peaceful transition of power on believing
In what the voters say
And ensuring
That happen
Unfortunately
We've heard from some Senators today
Who have been enabling President Trump
Wilfred
Disregard of the boats of our city
Even if they speak out
Against foreign leaders
Ignore their own
They will fail and history will remember
And I hope that future Generations
This will be the actions
Some of those folks today is little more than an unfortunate anomaly
Future opportunities
May use this ill-fated effort to seek
Short-term political gain
Over the long-term stability of our
But for the sake of our great country and America's standing in the world
I asked my colleagues
Today to fully endorse
The results
Of the free and fair election
And set aside this part is an attempt
Subvert the will of the
We should be venerating
The peaceful transition of power
Even if our own preferred Canada
Didn't win
That is after all
Who We Are
In the United States
America
Majority leader
This present yield up to 5 minutes to Centerville Ohio
Deportment
Senator from Ohio
Who's vice president
You have
Fulfill your duties
As president of the Senate tonight
What's a sanction
And we all appreciate
I thought if I change my mind and not speaking tonight given the lateness of the hour
And I know all of my colleagues would have appreciated that greatly
But I thought it was necessary
To speak
Because I want the American people particularly
My constituents in Ohio
To see that we will not be intimidated
That we would not be disrupted from our work
It here in the syllable of democracy
We will continue
Do the work of the people
Mob rule is not going to Prevail here
Now let's face it
We did not reclaim the chamber tonight
Brave and selfless law enforcement officers
Stood in the breach
And insured
That the Citadel of democracy would be protected
And we would be
We are deeply grateful for that asses the nation
I've listened carefully to the comments of my colleagues
And I've listened over the past couple of weeks since this issue has been disgusting
I tell you for me it's
Not a hard decision
I stand with the Constitution I stand with
What the Constitution makes clear the people
In the states
Hold the power here
Not us
My oath to the constitution in my reverence for our Democratic principles
Make it
Easy for me
To confirm
These state certification
By the way I post this process
Some
15 years ago
When some Democrats chose
To eject
Do the electors from my home state of Ohio
After the
2004
Elections
I post it then and I post it now
I said at the time
Congress must not thwart the will of the people
That's what we would be doing
Let's assume for a moment that those who objected the certification to write
At the Constitution
Intended that a bare majority of members of Congress
Could circumvent the states that have chosen to certify
The popular vote
Of their own States citizens
I asked the objectors to think about
The president
It would be set
If we were to do that
What is the majority
In the house in the Senate was at the other party with a presidential candidate of our party
Came through a close
Presidential
Election
Would you want a congress controlled by the Democrats to play the role
You now intend for us
It is asking Congress to substitute its judgment
For the Judgment of the voters
And it's judgement
For the judgment
Of the states that certified the results
And even forgetting
The dangerous
President that would be set
What would be the basis for objecting in this election
Look I voted for President Trump
I supported him because I believe the Trump administration's policies are better
Ohio and
For the country
And I supported the Trump campaign is right to pursue recounts
Did every right to do it
And legal challenges
I agree that there were instances of Fraud and irregularities in the 2020 election
I think we all do
And by the way
There is fraud and irregularities
In every presidential election
But it is also true that after two months of recounts and legal challenges not a single state recount change the result
And of the dozens of lawsuits filed not one
Found evidence of fraud or irregularities
Widespread enough
To change the result
The election
This was the finding of numerous
Republican-appointed judges
And the Trump Administration Zone
Department of justice
Every stage is now weighed in
And chosen to certify its electoral slate based on the popular vote as set out
In the Constitution
I understand
That many Americans who would never storm this capital
Don't trust the integrity
Of the 2020 election
Don't think the state should have certified don't think we should have
Accept the results
From the states
Are insisting on more transparency
An accountability
In the 2016 election
Lest we forget many Democrats
Objected to the results
And distressed at the election
I challenge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle
Telesup
But also to do our part
To try to restore faith
In our election
Is president
We should all work to improve the Integrity of the electoral system
And the confidence of the American people in this bed rock
Of our great
Democratic Republic
Today I'll do my constitutional duty to Posey's efforts to reject
The State Certified results
And tomorrow and awake
This attack on the capital
The pandemic that engulfs Us and other National challenges
Let's work together
For the people
Democratic leader
Mr. president I believe we have
It's correctly
This present
Senator from Maine
Prison
Winston Churchill once said that
He could do a 2-hour speech
Extemporaneously but
A 10 minute speech took immense
Preparation
I don't know what he would have said about a format
We are a 240 year anomaly in world history
We think that what we have here in this country is the way it's always been
It is a very unusual form of government
The normal form of government throughout world history is a dictators Kings ours fayroze
Warlords
Tyrant
And we thought 20 years ago the march of History was
For democracy
But it is in Rich
Treat
In Hungary in Turkey
Goodness knows in Russia
Democracy as we have practiced it is fragile
It's fragile and it rests upon Trust
It rest upon Trust
In fact
It rest upon trust in
Courts
And public officials
And yes
In elections
I don't sympathize or Justify or in any way
Can anyway support
That's a mile that's putting it mildly what happened here today but I understand it
I understand it because I saw those people interview today and they said we're here
Because this election has been stolen
And the reason they said that is that their leader has been telling them that everyday
For two months
We cannot afford to pull bricks
Out from the foundation of trust
Set underlines underlies
Our entire system
And I agree with Gunner Romney
That's the answer to this problem is to tell people the truth
Is to tell them what happened
It's easy to confront
Your opponents
It's hard to convey
Front your friend
It's hard to tell your supporters something they don't want to hear
But that's Our obligation
That's why the word leader is applied to people in jobs like ours
It's not supposed to be easy
It's supposed to be
Something that we take on as a sacred obligation
And if people believe something that isn't true
It's Our obligation to tell him know I'm sorry it isn't
Just a senator Portman just said
Has Mike Lee just said
I'm sorry we can't do this here we don't want to do this here
This is a power reserved to the states
Not to the Congo
And I agree with the majority leader
I think this is one of the most important votes
Any of us will ever take
On December 1st
1862 Abraham Lincoln came to this building
It came to this building in the darkest days of the Civil War he was trying to awaken the Congress
To the crisis
That we were face
And he didn't feel that they were
And effectively engage
Nan did
His speech that day
With words
That I think have an eerie relevance
Tonight
Here's what Abraham Lincoln say
Fellow Americans we cannot Escape history
We of this Congress and this Administration will be remembered In Spite of Ourselves
No personal significance or insignificant
Can spare one or another of us
And here's
His final word
The fiery trial through which we pass
Will light us down in
Honor or dishonor
To the latest
Generation
The fiery trial through which we pass
Will light us down
An honor
For dissing
To the latest
Generation
Present
Senator for Maryland
I thank you
Mr. president
Violence in attack we saw on our capital
Today
Should be a wake-up call
2 each
And everyone of us
Of what happens
When we fail to come together
Not as Democrats and Republicans but each of us as Americans
To stand up
To a President Who time and again
Has shown contempt
For democracy
Contempt
Constitution
Today here on the capitol
We witnessed
People taking down
An American flag
And putting up
A trump
Flag
That is not
Democracy
In the United States of America
Has every Saturday spoken
Has mentioned
We have for hundreds of years had a peaceful
Transfer of power
Nobody likes to lose and supporters
Of the losing candidate always disappointed
What's different this time
We all know what's different this time
We had a president who was the senator from New Jersey set even before a vote
Wiz cast
That if he didn't win the election
It was going to be a fraud
And every day since then
Has perpetrated
That why
We have a President Who
Just today
Criticized
Very loyal vice president who is provide presiding right now
Urging him to disregard his responsibilities out of the Constitution I'd States
In order to reinstall
Donald Trump is president
The same person who got on the phone
To the Secretary of State
In Georgia
And threaten him
The change the results of the election
Present
I read something this week I'd never thought I'd read
In a newspaper the United States of America
It was an op-ed by all the living former secretaries of defense
Including
Secretary
Rumsfeld
Cheney
And Mattis
Warning
Warning the country
About
Our tradition of peaceful
Transfer power and that would be inappropriate for the military
To take sides
In the United States of America
We talked about how
We want to promote democracy our values and right here at home
Too many or undermining
Those values
Mr. president
Donald Trump could not do the solo
He can only do it
If he's
Aided
And abetted
By individuals who are willing to perpetrate
Those lies in those conspiracy
And that is why it is so important that we as Democrats or Republicans and senators
Panda
Together
Stand up
Together
Entel
The truth
You know when you go no court of law like those sixty cases
You're testifying under penalty of perjury
That's very different than here
In the house in the Senate
And in all those 60 cases under penalty of perjury
There was no
Evidence of widespread
Fraud
So it should be easy for us
Together
To tell the truth
On January 20th
Joe Biden will be sworn in as the next president knighted states
He has said he wants to bring
The country
Together
He has said he wants to bring
Democrats and Republicans together to do some of the pressing
Business of this country defeat this
Pandemic to get the economy going again
The face challenging issues of racial and social justice
I hope
We will learn from
What happened today
Attack on this captain
The price we pay when we don't stand up
For the truth and for democracy James McHenry
Maryland's delegate to the Constitutional Convention
Wrote about a famous Exchange in his Diaries
Between Elizabeth willing Powell and Benjamin Franklin
Wrote a lady ass
Dr Franklin well doctor
What are we got
A republic
Or a monarchy
A republic
Reply Dr Franklin
If you can keep
My colleagues this is a test
A weather will United to keep
Our Republic
I hope we will pass the test
Together
Thank you
Majority leader
Misprinted I yield up to 5 minutes
Senator from South Carolina Senator Graham
Senator from South Carolina
Many times my state has been the problem
I love it
It's where I want to
David no time soon
Tim and I
Have a good relationship I love Tim Scott
1876
South Carolina
Louisiana and Florida
To slate of electors
Tattoo governments by the way
And we didn't know what to do
Why did South Carolina Florida
In Louisiana do it
The whole
The country hostage
The end reconstruct
It worked
The commission was 827
It didn't work
Nobody except
The way it ended
Is when Jesus did a deal
Were these three states
You give me
The electors
I'll kick the Union Army out
The rest is history
Atlanta Jim Crow
You're looking for historical
This is not the one to pick
If you're looking for a way to convince people there was no fraud
Having a commission
Chosen by Nancy Pelosi
Mitch McConnell and John Roberts is that going to get you to where you want to go
Didn't go to work
So it's not going to do any good
It's going to delay
It gives credibility to a dark chapter of our history
That's why I'm not with you
But I will fight to my death for you
Other people objectives
I think it's a uniquely bad idea
To delay this election
Trumpet
We had a hell of a journey
I hate it then this way
Oh my God I hate it
But today
First thing you'll see
All I can say
Is count me out enough is enough
I tried to be helpful
But windows
Wisconsin Supreme Court rule 423
That they didn't violate the Supreme the Constitution
A Wisconsin
I agree with a three but accept the four
If Al Gore could accept 5-4 he's not president I can accept Wisconsin 423
And went to the second circuit
So much for all the judges being in Trump's pocket
They said no you're wrong
I accept the Pennsylvania second circuit the Trump's lawsuit wasn't wasn't right
Georgia they said this excerpt
Took his own hands he changed
The election laws unlawfully
A federal judge said no I accept the federal judge even though I don't agree with it
Fraud
They said they're 66000 people in Georgia under 18 voting
How did people believe that
I have
Give me 10
They said 8000 felons
In prison in Arizona voting
Give me 10 haven't gotten one
Does that say there is
There's problems in every election
I don't buy this
Enough's enough
We got to end it
Vice president Pence
What they're asking you to do you want do because you can't
Talk about interesting times I associate myself with Rent-All
How many times will you hear that
The mob has done something nobody else
Baguette man ran their drink
Rand is right
If you're a conservative this is the most defensive Concept in the world
Status single person
Disenfranchised 155 million people
The president said it shall in the presence of the Senate and the House of Representatives
Open all certificates in the boat Sheldon be counted
The person having the greatest number of votes for president shall be president
Where in there does it say Mike and say I don't like the results
I want to send them back to the States I believe there was fraud
The conservatives who believe in the Constitution now is your chance to stand up and be counted
Originalism Count Me In
It means what it says
So Mike
Miss vice president
Just hang in there
Think they said wink at all night
All of us can count on the vice president
You going to do the right thing you're going to do the Constitutional thing
You got a son-in-law flies upteenth F18
So that we can get it right here
Are people dying
Goodnight good friend from Illinois to make sure we have a chance to argue among ourselves
And when it's over it is over it is over
The final thing Joe by now travel the world with Joe
I hope they lost I prayed he would lose
He won
He's illegitimate president of the United States
I cannot convince people
Certain groups
By my words but I will tell you about my ass
That maybe I among any above all others in this body need to say that
Joe Biden
And Kamala Harris
Are lawfully elected
And will become the president
And the vice president United States
On January 20th
Majority Leader Mitch Pride ideal back to balance
OurTime
Bout time is expired
The question is shell the objections submitted
But the gentleman from Arizona
Mister gozar and the senator from Texas mr. Cruz and others
Be sustained
Is there a second
There is
Clerk of call the roll
Miss Baldwin
Christopher raso
Mr. Bennet
Mrs. Blackburn
Mr. Blumenthal
Mister blunt
Disturbed
Mister Braun
Buster Brown
Miss Cantwell
This is capital
Mr. Carter
Mr. carper
Even listening to debate on both the Senate and House floors this all comes after Riders
Swarm the US Capitol Building forcing lawmakers to evacuate
As they were starting to count Electoral College votes
What transpired today we want to take you to a CBS News special assault
On the capitol
Good evening on your O'Donnell with CBS News special report
Assault on the US Capitol
In an extraordinary day here in the nation's capital that no one thought would come to fruition
An angry mob of supporters of President Trump
Convened on
US Capitol
Overwhelming law enforcement
This is an image inside what is called the capital
Cramped
Has those supporting the president
Sought to storm
The House and Senate chambers
What can only be viewed as an attempt
Not only to court
The Democratic process
But also an effort
Incited by the presidents of the United States
To try one last
Effort
To overturn
The presidential
Election
Senators
Congressman their staffers were quickly
Twist into a secure location
Among them as well
The vice president
Of the United States
Brought by the US Secret Service into a secure location
All of them hold up
4 hours
Trying to remain secure
This picture
Encapsulate
It all
The US
Capitol Police
Guns
Drawn
Those are members of Congress on their knees
With bags to wear to protect them from chemical agent
In the galley
Watching stunned
Staffers
Scared
These are some of the people who tried to storm the capitol
In the law enforcement
With long guns
Drawn
Asking them to stop
This is salt
On democracy
And outside the West front of the capitol
Which two weeks today
Will witness the inauguration
The 46th president of the United States
Hung
A trump
2020 flag
That's why is no longer there
Law enforcement including our National Guard
Was activated
In part from the Pentagon
And also from the vice president who was holed up inside a secure location
Urging the Pentagon to move quickly asking for help
That call did not come from the White House and President Trump
Who sat in a small room by himself watching television
Steaming mad and getting phone calls from Capitol Hill urging him to do something to make it stop
If you watched our coverage today
You heard the Republican leader of the House
Kevin McCarthy
His voice shaking
Saying he called the president himself
He called the President's chief of staff
Urging him to address the nation
To speak forcefully
Stop
This assault
On democracy
But even before we heard from the president of the United States
We heard from the president-elect
Joe Biden
To call this
An assault
On the capitol
And the Citadel of democracy
An assault on public servants
An assault on lawmakers who do the work
And try to do the work of the American people
Everyday
We've seen some shocking video of the moments after the mob first reached the capital
Alone guard
Cuz I have to confront them and they filled the hallways chasing him up the stairs
This scene itself has prompted calls about whether this
This party
But inside of this violence is the party of Law & Order
It has been a remarkable day and I want to bring in
The gays who is still on the streets
Our nation's capital tonight which is under a mandatory curfew state of emergency since 6
The mayor has called in 1100 members of the National Guard
To help secure the peace
Jeff
Your own this has been an extraordinary day and it started early early this morning
When President Trump supporters
At his urging descended on Washington DC they came here before the sun came up and we
You were walking with him
Along Constitution Avenue
As they prepared to fill the ellipse
As I was describing it I said that there were tens of thousands of people there potentially but one of prey
President Trump's followers
Directed me she says
She said you should call this a massive crowd and it was a massive crowd that
Seemed to grow during the day and grew even larger is it
Got closer to President Trump speech
Do the crowd and when he arrived
He's soaked up the adulation he
Repeated some of the slogans
Stop the Steal
All the slogans that suggested
Or said outright that the election was rigged
Logan said his followers repeated to me over and over and over again
Without evidence
But also during the president's more than hour-long speech
He told his followers what to do next
We're going to walk down
To the Capitol
Iran
Our brave
Congressmen and women
And we're probably not going to be cheering so much for
Some of them
Because you'll never
Country with weakness you have to show strength and you have to be strong
You have to show strength and you have to be strong at the capital of those protesters
Upon hearing the president's speech some of them left the speech early heading for the capital
They clash with police as they surrounded the capital and climb the walls
And there were other saying similar things
But they are few people say this is Civil War
So they were intent on reaching the capital and they did and there
Their actions today raised questions about whether law enforcement was truly prepared for what was going
Happened today everybody knew in this city that this day was going to come to president had been advertising it
Who was followers for at least a week
Urging them to come to DC they did they got permits
And so City officials and law enforcement knew that the crowds would be big perhaps they didn't know that they would
America capital
There are some who feel as if
Capitol Hill Police did not do enough to prepare for this invented pack we talked to her former
Capitol Hill Police Officer
Who told CBS news that
This structure of course should not have been briefed there should have been a larger perimeter of
Capitol police officers around the capitol infected r2000 strong
But they didn't have those numbers here today
And that typically there is a saying I'm on Capitol Hill police officers that the Dome is still
Standing at the end of the day well it is standing behind me
But it took some hits today
Nora
And with Lady Liberty still a top Jeff the gays for that excellent reporting just want to show you what's happening at this hour
Live pictures from inside the senate floor
As they are voting on The objection to the Arizona electoral vote
This is what happened earlier today there was a joint session of Congress who had a republican House member Republican senator
Both
Together raised an objection in writing and so that's why the two Chambers broke
To debate separately and that's when this assault on the capital happened there now finishing up that business
Sum 9 hours later once this gets done they will reconvene
We will come to really that moment about whether they will finally take this step
To count the rest of the elect
Coral College votes making Joe Biden the 46th president of the United States it is a formality
Also today in part because what we saw
The comments by the president of the United States to those tens of thousands of angry supporters
Also the warm-up back by his son Don Jr who said that we are coming for you that message sent from
Members of Congress
A warm-up also done by Rudy Giuliani
Who said to
Those
Tens of thousands gathered here
That it would be trial
By combat
In his words
And then it turned into just that
On Capitol Hill
Because of that you now have a number of Republican lawmakers who are placing the blame
For this insurrection
Squarely
Repeat of the president knighted states
Tank he is responsible
Presiding
This
Violence
And those who continue with
In the words of Mitt Romney are complicit in terms of the lawmakers continuing this debate
Has gotten
So dire
But my characterization is we're on the brink of a constitutional
Crisis
Also because of the reporting of CVS is Margaret Brennan who is the moderator of Face the Nation
Who has been speaking
With her sources
About the reaction from some of the cabinet members to what has happened in Margaret
Please share with us what you're learning
Nora the past twenty-four hours have had a profound effect on the sinking of some of the presidents
Top advisors and we know that
They are in the very early stages but had begun discussing among themselves
The potential
Of invoking the 25th Amendment which would remove the president from office for the remainder of this term
And if I could we put in place
The vice president as commander-in-chief now again these are early Whispers as it has been described to me
Me it has not been formally presented and I want underscore here tonight
There are a lot of unconfirmed reports about potential resignations as well so
Member or top adviser who potentially could departed is unclear where the headcount is
We are working on all of that to try to nail down where those cabinet members are in their thinking
This moment
But the point is here is top advisors within the Trump Administration have been so
Affected and in their thinking because of what has happened
Are the accumulation of events and the president's own personal Behavior
Status husband
Disgust
Ann Margret that's why I used the words constitutional
Crisis because just as the president the United States in the commander-in-chief seems increasingly
Isolated
The reports about
Potential resignation buys national security staff
And his vice president right now
Busy
In the Senate and then soon The Joint session of Congress to dispatch what is normally a perfunctory
Iran is done very very quickly but instead
He's dealing with this
I have to ask you about some of the comments that we saw today notably
President Trump's Former Defense secretary Jim Mattis who had some very strong words for President Trump saying
Mr. Trump will deservedly be left a man
Without
Country
About is
Just a punch to the gut for a commander-in-chief to be described
As that a man without a country
That is such a powerful statement by Jim Mattis the retired four-star Marine General
Former Secretary of Defense
Tower of inspiration amongst
The rank-and-file Among The Men Who served under him so these words carry weight still
The leaders who have spoken out
Again
Anki moment such as what we saw happen during the summer with the protest in
In front of the White House that turned violent in the president's decision at that time to go into Lafayette Square and hold up the Bible
Has inspired military leaders to speak out but this statement tonight is unlike anything I have seen to date Nora
Margaret standby because we have some breaking news right now that involves
The United States Senate let's go back to the live pictures there because
The Senate has voted 93 to 6
2 SmackDown
The challenge 2
His election loss in Arizona with bringing Nancy Cordes who covers Capitol Hill for us and
Nancy
That's a resounding rejection
It is a resounding rejection or an it means that Arizona gets to keep its 11 electoral votes
Officially go into the account it shows you
How much this movement to challenge
Electoral College results has dwindled in the wake of the violence we saw today still 6
Is not zero
Which means there is still a possibility that any one of those six
Could choose to objective again once the process gets underway
To continue with the count and move on to more States why Arizona why were they objecting to
The electoral votes in that state well if it's just comes early in the alphabet it's an a state
The first Battleground state that was won by Vice President Joe Biden that came up
But as they were going through the states alphabetically and so that chews
About they're upset about Georgia they're upset about Pennsylvania so the question now is whether
The Senators like Josh Hawley of Missouri Rodger Marshall of Kansas will feel that they have made their point they have
I've said what they have had to had to say they've gotten on record and now
Are there going to call it a day or whether they're going to feel compelled
To go ahead and challenge the results from
Get another state like Georgia when the counting resumes
Why in all those six objections two of them Senator Hawley and Senator Cruz I'm thinking of the nose
Notable because they are both Senators who have presidential Ambitions for years from now
They also listen to the remarks of Mitt Romney who received Applause from fellow senators
When he also those suggested that those that continue this are complicit in the violence right
That's right and he's not the only one who is criticizing the two of them obliquely this evening Senator Cory
New Jersey
Was also on the senate floor calling them out
Her fundraising over this challenge that they've lodged even as
The unrest was mounting outside the US Capitol so
They're getting a lot of side-eye tonight they're being pushed very strenuously by Republican leader
Here's to drop this challenge it's become an embarrassment in the eyes of Republican leaders at this point
Going to say it's not going to go anywhere and who are you
If This Were to be successful if you took it to its logical end
And the 11 electoral votes of Arizona franchising
Millions of people
And on what grounds
There is no serious
Credible allegation of
Electoral fraud in Arizona votes were certified
By that State's Republican governor
And so it's really unusual movement that has grown in strength over last couple days
Now is dwindling but because it only takes one Republican senator and one Republican House member
To keep this going at we could be in for a long night
And Nancy Cordes bear on Capitol Hill as
American lawmakers have been consumed
Buy a day-long debate by a mob
Attempted takeover of the capital
Instead of the fact that nearly three hundred thousand Americans are dead from Coronavirus
For the millions of Americans who want a vaccine to protect themselves against this virus
Can't get a vaccine
Want directions from either the federal government or from their representatives
To help with the process
UVA long the process so that their parents and grandparents
And those with comorbidities
Can get a vaccine
And yet Congress
Seems consumed
By a process with a preordained outcome
That president-elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will be the next
Leaders
Of the United States of America and that's it continues
The difficult work of
Democracy
Want to return now to the state of our nation's capital not just what's happening in Congress put on the street
Because there are still those tens of thousands
Angry Mobsters who wore
At the US Capitol are now roaming the streets of DC despite the fact that there is a curfew
TDs is Chris Van Cleave has been on the mall and outside the capitol all day
Chris
You were an eyewitness to the thousands of law enforcement that tried to remove and push back
That angry mob what's happening now
Well you're certainly the area around the capitol has turned very quiet you can see the National Guard
Is still here
Mob the crowd
Largely gone almost entirely gone at this hour the city is under a curfew we know
DC police have made at least 30 curfew violation arrest
We saw a handful of people
Taken into custody in front of us here earlier
I'm part of the reason why the capitol grounds are so quiet
Least-liked you can see over there one of the intersections nearby blocked off by police cars
There are emergency vehicles
Just circling the footprint of the capital here
We'll show you why video from earlier
Today is people force their way inside the capitol
They were met by that loan a capitol police officer
Who tried to stop them he was forced to retreat
Until some long seconds later other officers appeared to a system
In another part of the Capitol protesters were in a hallway with a gunshot rang out a woman was hit
Police officers Drew their weapons to provide cover
As people started CPR
Unfortunately that woman later died
On the house floor as Riders were storming the building and moving that way members Don for
Protective gear and evacuated by PUD work you waited by police we spoke is rented representative
David trone
There was a gas mask replace
Under every other seat in the chamber
As we put the masks on we hear pounding on the door
Fine
People outside the doors
Could not get in
Exodus all out to some side entrances
Which were heavily
Bambai Chapel police
And then down some elevators and
Through Time play story or now
Just in a holding pattern
I know just a few blocks from The Far Side of the capital states the RNC I want to show you some video that The Republic
National Committee
Aditi bomb squad was summoned there because what appeared to be improvised explosive device
We're found their the bomb squad render them safe
Search throughout the day then turned up a vehicle nearby inside their weapons and ammunition
That investigation is still going on unclear if the two are related but that's happening outside the Republic
Committee
Headquarters just a few blocks from the capitol
You're one of the big questions norin
Touch on it earlier
The police presence here when we got on scene before things got out of control
There were not a lot of police officers that police presence was notably
Low and this is not a
Town that is this town is used to dealing with demonstrations and normally there would be
Road closures in significant police presence
That didn't happen until after things are out of control
Nora
Kris Van Cleave thank you so much and not concerned about the lack of
Law enforcement was certainly noted by
Members of Congress who were seen scurrying through the capital
Some of them on their hands and knees
As
Armed guards fought back
The mob who was trying to
Make their way onto the House and Senate floors
Joining us now is Congressman pramila jayapal a Democrat from Washington State she was above
The house chamber as the mob stormed the capital in
Congresswoman thank you so much for joining us
Would you first just described
The same for us
It was really like something from some other country not the United States we were
In the gallery just above the chamber there about 12 us members there
And suddenly we heard probably before the people on the floor heard
The noise of people breaching
The capital we saw it on our Twitter feeds and social media
And from alerts but we could hear it we could hear people screaming shouting
We heard you know what sounded like a big
Angry violent mom
And then we noticed that speaker Pelosi was being taken off the floor steny Hoyer with
Being taken off the floor
There was a brief suspension we thought maybe things would be okay
But pretty quickly all of the members on the floor were ushered off through the side doors as was described
But those of us that were in the gallery
It just above the floor
Were essentially
Couldn't get out and so we put on our gas masks and we
We're told to immediately drop to the floor the floor by then had been
Cleared but we heard shots being fired
I guess into the chamber they sounded like they were right there
And we saw the Capitol Police now the only ones on the house
Score
We could see them they had barricaded the doors with furniture with other things
And they were standing about six to a door around the door with guns drawn
To try to
Stop anybody who continue to fire through
So I think
We're seeing the pictures right now of you actually up in the gallery
Witnessing that and we could hear
Thomas seem like you and your colleagues praying
Yes Lisa blunt Rochester began praying and she was right next to me
Sheila Jackson Lee a few others
And she began praying for peace
For us to be protected for everyone to be protected
For the violence to stop
It was a pretty terrifying moment I has to say and
Yeah we didn't know when we were going to get out we saw all of her colleagues going out off the floor but we were stuck
And we could hear the
The banging outside the door as well
And so we were finally able to to leave
We don't go into them series of
Very
Circuitous steps
And then finally were ushered to a safe location
Where we sat
But I just have to say that we are back in the chamber except off the floor to take this call
We will not allow these violent
People who assaulted our Capital assaulted our constitution assaulted our democracy
Have no regard whatsoever for the laws of this country
To stop us from doing our constitutional Duty so we are here and by the end of this night we
You will
Certified that Joe Biden Kamala Harris are the president and the vice president of the United States
And regardless of what Donald Trump has done
To overturn the selections to incite violence we refuse
To allow that to destroy our democracy so we
We will conduct the will of the people in the duty for which we were sworn and we took an oath
To hear in Congress but the damage
Is expensive
And it isn't going to be over tonight we will have to rebuild
And it is
Horrific to me absolutely horrific
But the president of the United States
Is still
Still
Condoning
The protesters
And still claiming that the selection of stolen so
Hopefully
More Republican colleagues will come out I think some of them are shaken
And some of them are finally speaking out but this has gone on
For too long it is to dangerous
And I'm not just talking about danger to our lives
Somebody died here somebody was shot
But
Also to our country
To our constitution to the very idea
Of America and what we stand for
He ran around the world
Congresswoman this is Ed O'Keefe lockside noran Major Garrett here thank you again for joining us tonight
One one quick question about the house you're someone who has a pretty good
Handle on the mood of your
Democratic caucus
There has been talk today about
Impeaching the president in the next two weeks and there's been talk
The possibly even voting to remove the Republican members who objected a
Do you
Support either of those actions do you think a large number of Democrats in your caucus wood
Is that even worse at this point
I think people are horrified by what has happened and horrified by the danger
It President Trump presents to the country in this office
Even for just another two weeks
And so I know that there are discussions and I think I'd you might have even tweeted about this
About
Invoking the 25th Amendment
That is something that
Vice president Pence
Could you members of the cabinet could and should do I am
Assigning a letter with some of my colleagues
Writing a letter with some of my colleagues
To vice-president Pence about this
And I think that we have to hold Donald Trump accountable
With absolutely
Responsible for
Inciting this violence for fuelling it
And
He is a danger to our country
Is it sake or Constitution he is
The only president who has refused to concede the election
And Sophie's electoral college
Boats
AR
You are not
It isn't just a protest it's a protest
2
Mollify
President who is refusing to
The results of the elect of the people
Congresswoman jayapal
Thank you so much
Her joining us
I have to work continues there on Capitol Hill
I'm going to take a quick break our coverage of the assault on the capital continues in just a moment
We are here to get you up to speed on all the news that you need to know for rusted true journalism
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Stream free weekdays on cbs.n
This afternoon as an angry mob of thousand stormed the US Capitol there was a vacuum in liter
Leadership no denunciation from either the president of the United States or even the vice president
And then we heard that President like Joe Biden would address the nation before any of them
He came before the cameras
In Wilmington Delaware
And spoke
And said this is an assault
On the Citadel of Liberty and assault on a representative an assault on public servants
An assault on the rule of law
In his words
CVS indicol kellyanne is covering the transition and she joins us tonight
From Wilmington Delaware baby Nicole
Good evening to you nor and we do expect to hear more from president-elect Joe Biden tomorrow but earlier today he was
Very deliberate in his remarks he was actually supposed to speak about the economy but
Scrap those remarks to address the unfolding unrest in the nation's capital and as you said he said our
Our democracy is under unprecedented assault unlike anything we have seen
In modern times he called on President Trump to step up and said that presidents words matter and he's
He said that he was shocked and saddened that our nation has
Reach such a dark moment and made clearer than what happened today at the Capitol was not a protest
An insurrection
Let me be very clear
The scenes of chaos at the Capitol
Do not reflect the true America
Do not represent Who We Are
What we're saying
Are small number of extremist
Dedicated
This is not the sin
It's the shorter
It's chaos
Borders on sedition
And it must
Now
Not after the president-elect spoke I asked him if he was concerned about his own inauguration and the
The prospect for more violence he said that he is not concerned about his safety his security
Or the inauguration he said that the American people will step up and he declared enough is enough of course we're now
Does two weeks away from Inauguration Day Nora
Nicole Killian there in Wilmington Delaware
The president-elect speaking as his own vice president elect was there
On Capitol Hill
Isaiah still is a sitting US senator
Part of the time she was not there during the day we were told by her by her Secret Service
And other officials close with her
But nevertheless another word line from the present like that this truck to me is that
Words of a president a very important
That the words of the president can inspire
And they can also inside
And what's remarkable today is the number of Republican lawmakers
They're accusing the president directly
I've been fighting this violence
Which
Suggest a not only cleaving or final cleaning with President Trump
But a question also about responsibility which in the past they have been unable or unwilling to or unable
To describe the effort to shed
Complicity
And it may not succeed
Beyond their own party because Republicans have
Aided and abetted
And created this space of forgiveness for the president that seem to have
No limits
Infinite elasticity
Every pushing against the understood norms
Of the presidency itself they seem to find a way to accommodate excuse
Or in some way contextualize as more harmless than it actually sounded
And
We have had people
For example the top of what were the top election officials in Georgia sound warnings many weeks ago
The president's rhetoric is dangerous
It will incite violence
People will get hurt someone will get shot
That's exactly what was predicted three or four weeks ago by a top official in Georgia a Republican
And that is exactly what come to pass woman was shot tonight and died
Blood was spilled in United States capital America non-american
There will be an attempt probably buy some in the most
Loyal Trump faction to say all those probably weren't Trump supporters let the video speak for itself what the
Illustrative
Pat's
Flags
And demonstrable signs of trumpian support
Reveal their intent and
Who they were and what they were doing in the capital .12
Incitement
An Insurrection or those are
Words from another
Lost
Place in American history the Civil War
We are not or should not be at that place
It we found ourselves today inexplicably horrifyingly
At the precipice it's an abyss Republicans are looking into it and they better
Recoil from it
Major thank you want to bring in Senator Chris Coons he is a Democrat from
Delaware and senator
You're known as someone who reaches across the aisle
To their colleagues
Tell me what you're hearing from your Republican colleagues tonight
Well nowhere this is Ben
A very difficult day in the United States capital a day that began with
A recognition that more than a dozen of my Republican colleagues intended
To do something unprecedented
I end up ever going to challenge as a group
The election and trying disenfranchise millions of Voters
But like the impeachment trial of nearly a year ago I think most of us who's logged into the capitol today
Thought we knew the outcome
And thought we knew that this would be a mostly boring and long evening of speeches
Constitutionally significant
Troubling
But unremarkable
Instead of Juno
We suffered an assault on the capital of the United States
We saw chaos
And on my way over here I went past in the Rotunda the litter the garbage the mess that was left behind
By hundreds of protesters rioters
Thugs
Who took possession
Of the United States capitol
And dozens of fully equipped armor
Troops troops wearing
Battle armor
Resting after a day taking back control of our nation's capital
That changed the votes
I'm about half of my Republican colleagues who earlier in the day
Had intended to object we just had
An hour-and-a-half of debate on the senate floor
Were there were compelling and moving speeches by Republicans and Democrats
The majority leader the minority leader and senators
New and seasoned
But this is a moment nor we have to stop and reflect and look at what just happened today
President-trump
These crowds
Brought them here from across our nation
And unleash them on Ark
Capital
The world is watching this today
Our children are watching this tonight
And we have to change course
We have to take back the direction of our democracy
So my question for my Republican colleagues as we sat
Huddle together having been evacuated from the senate floor
Where is is this the night the fever will break
And you will show some Independence
From this dangerous demagogue of a president
We still have
Nor I will confident that two weeks from today
Joe Biden will be sworn in as the next president of the United States
And we have to take this opportunity
To begin healing and moving past
Where President Trump has let us
Today
And on that question of whether the fever broke
You still had sex
Of your Republican Senate colleagues
However
Proceed with an objection
And vote against the Arizona
Electors
I do
A number of the Senators who changed their votes or ones who as you said in your introduction
I have a friendship with I have legislated with
And a number of those who are insisting on continuing with their objection
Are several with ambitions to run for the presidency themselves
Several who are newly seeded senators
But I don't forgive any of them
Because just a few days ago
The Constitution
What's happening on the floor of the Congress this evening
What happens here in the halls of Congress today
Threatens that very Constitution and our Democratic order
So my hope
Is that the car the constituents
Of those Senators who voted tonight
The disenfranchised Millions to overturn this election
And to try and move forward Trump's scheme
This attempted coup today the capital of United States
Did they would be Dishonored by having cast those votes
And that their constituents
Would send them an unmistakable message
About how they feel about what happened here in the Capitol today
Senator I have to ask you about the state of our nation
The security of our nation
There are reports in the number of the president's National Security advisers are considering
Resigning
Margaret Brennan our moderator Fascination is reported there are cabinet members who are considering invoking the 25th Amendment
And our press reports that the president
In the words of Maggie Haberman of the New York Times has lost it
He has said he will not concede
Are you concerned and would you support an effort
Buy some of your house colleagues
To move forward with a second impeachment trial in the final two weeks
I become president
Will ignore this is a moment of great Peril for our nation
We have a president who's demonstrated in unhinged Allegiance
2 a conspiracy theory in which he actually won
The election that he lost
2 months ago
I think we cannot
Cuddle this leader any further I think we cannot
Tolerate the sorts of actions
He took that led to today
Any further
And we need to take the steps
That will be effective in the next two weeks
You think he should be removed from office
My Hope
Is that his cabinet
His vice president his closest advisors
We'll move him
How long and get him to accept the outcome of the election that happened two months ago
Nor I'll remind you in the last 2 months
He's ignored a raging pandemic and he's fueled the fires of division
He's mostly tweeted
And indulge himself
And golf
He is utterly abandoned his post as president
In the midst of a pandemic in the midst of a Russian Hack of our national security systems
He doesn't deserve the presidency anymore
And we need to do what we can
To ensure a peaceful stable transition
The president-elect Joe Biden
Not to mention the millions of Americans who are waiting for
Vaccine
Senator
Chris Coons of Delaware thank you
So much
We'll be right back
When our coverage of the assault on the capital continues
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In covering
Capitol Hill and Congress for many years I've never seen anything like this or rebuke why so many members of the
Sansone party of
His
Leadership it also accusing him of inciting
A mom
The today's storm to the United States capitol
As a result there are questions about whether the president with just two weeks left in office should be removed
From office
Some democratic lawmakers talking about as we just talked about impeaching the president
And their members within the president's own party
His cabinet
Who have talked about invoking the 25th
Amendment
Margaret Brennan moderator of Face the Nation was the first to report about this and want to bring her in and
Margaret what's the status
I have been working the phones and trying to get a read on the thinking of some of the top
Advisors to the president who I continue to follow on confirmed reports about immediate resignations have
Obviously any
Number count of who is willing to cast their vote
To invoke the 25th would be impacted by who was actually still in the cabinet
These technicalities are some of the things that are kind of making this murky at this point
The thinking at the moment is
But we do know that at the highest levels of the Trump Administration the top advisors to the president
President had been discussing
Personally whether they would need to go out and support an effort to invoke the
25th amendment these were early talks
At this stage our latest reporting is that they have not been presented to the vice
As a formal consensus of opinion
I'm what I'm told by sources on Capitol Hill is everyone is just purely focused
Through certification itself tonight
To to really make the statement to the country and to the world
That our democracy is moving forward
Towards
The recognition formula
President-elect
Joe Biden and a flurry of world leaders who have been watching this very carefully I have been issuing statements
Condemning the violence a statement of reassurance would be some clarity on it exactly where
The top advisors to the president stand in their thinking
We know that the National Security advisor to the president
Was not with him for most of the day he was in Miami
ATS Ambassador Robert O'Brien down at southcom
He's made clear in a series of public statements that he
Was this afternoon in contact with Senate leaders he was in contact with the vice president
The vice-president keep in mind
Was sequester he was taken out from the house Congress because
Security threat
And so his communication with other members of the cabinet has been extremely Limited
We know he did speak to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs
Mark milley the general there about
Activating the National Guard we know that that order came from the vice president and not the commander-in-chief himself
So this is very messy to be very honest with you Nora
And the reporting on this is very early but but I just do want to underscore
Hear that it is not just chattering political speculation there is deep concern about the present State of Mind
His thinking and the events of the past 24 hours
And in Margaret
Is it possible that this is an attempt by some of these cabinet members to rescue their own reputations
There is a a
Variety of motivations particular
Among those who
President right now
Certainly also the case as could be those unconfirmed reports of resignations
There is a moment of desperation
Among these top advisors to
Try to get some control over the situation right now
Because it is key. Just to their own political careers as it always is part of them
Motivation here but also to send a message to to the country until the rest of the world that the
The most powerful democracy in the world is actually still functioning as a democracy
And we've seen a lot of statements that are just really
I mean breathtaking as someone who's covered Foreign Affairs for a long time to have the government of turkey condemning what's happened
A tall country that went through a coup that jails journalist
Saying that what they're seeing on the screen is disturbing them when they're talking about our democracy is just such a
Moment that underscores at how incredible this chain of a
Has been
And edits it is just the past 48 24-hours here that have really I think pushed a lot
Republican leaders
To a difference
Way of thinking about the president you can't claim you didn't see this you can't claim you didn't
Hear it
It came right to their doors
And you put that in such Stark perspective
Margaret because for many ways people have been able to just sort of
Pretend that it's not happening
But it just
Doesn't really exist or it doesn't affect them and tonight
These lawmakers no matter what their political affiliation
Ran for
And fought their own difficult political battles to be members of the United States
Congress
To represent their people
They may be narcissist
They may be just great public servants
But they worked hard to get there
And I can say universally they Revere
Positions that they hold they wouldn't fight as hard
And to see their beloved capital
Staffers and many of them themselves which we have video of them cowering
Concerned about their own safety and then being
Secured for several hours with one another unable to leave because of what
This has wrought
Certainly brought it to their front door is Margaret Brennan so eloquently put it tonight Mara thanks for your reporting
We'll be right back
The biggest named
The mayor the city council everything's going by woman
Khan Academy White and the surrounding areas 90% black
Somebody's going to get pulled over why are most of the people in the courtroom black
What's the people in fly like a white
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The day started expecting a cover or the Electoral count in the game
Changing runoff in Georgia and it all changed once a mob stormed the capital what happened in
In Georgia last night has had huge
Consequences CBS News at this hour projects that Democrats won both races and that gives dimmick
Control of the United States Senate was getting worn out from CVS is Mark Strassman
In Atlanta
Good evening Mark and this is historic
It is
Everyone in America has been consumed by the craziness of the day in Washington I mean understandably so
These races here have everyone's attention in Georgia
Moment of Reckoning and some soul-searching to both Republican candidates have wrapped themselves in the Trump brand
Their defeat was a rejection of that brand and in the double victory for Democrats
They Now understand that they have a path forward after years decades really of trying
I mean these candidates who won ossoff
And and password
Their liberal candidates moderate their liberal candidates
Who managed to win Statewide
An estate that is
Generally be considered to be conservative it's done its
Its diversity is changing its youth is changing its Dynamic is changing and across the South I think they're going to
A lot of other states but look at Georgia and say is that our future 2
Mark Strassman thank you want to bring in Democratic strategist and CBS News political contributor Joel Payne he joined
And Joel
Despite everything that happened today
That was universally condemned as a disgrace at the same time
A huge shift in the state of Georgia and what will translate into a shift
And how
The Senate is governed
It's a big deal Nora and
I can tell you Democrats started the day with a lot of euphoria looking at Warren often awesome went in there
Racist a particularly African-American Democrats who feel a lot of pride in turning that state in that seat
Blue
I'm in the last cycle Georgia has gone the way of States like Virginia and Colorado before it that were formally purple
Blue
Something up that jumped out to me about today nor just thinking your picture about what we experience
The Republicans on Capitol Hill people like
Mike Pence
Mitch McConnell
They experience today with so many Americans
I've been experiencing
For the last 4 years
The frustration about President Trump feeling despondent the stick look on Mitch McConnell's face before
The right earlier today it's the feeling that so many millions of Americans felt for the last
4 years women in the women's
Marsh right at the inauguration in 2017 people were protesting for racial Justice industry
After George Floyd and Jacob Lake which of course there was a big decision about yesterday
It seems like the chicken came home to roost the Republican
And that is something that jumped off me someone who spent my career
Working on Capitol Hill
And Joel Payne who puts it in perspective about
The fear
Anxiety that so many Americans have
Felt
This year and it has come to the front door of Congress
As Margaret couldn't today Joel thank you so much for joining us
Also cbs's John Dickerson are residential presidential historian
Was watching most of the day with us and he says some thoughts on a National Disgrace and
How many C is a threat to our democracy
In President Trump's remarks today to the crowd he summoned to overturn the election he pledged to protect
Facts the Washington Monument
Put the monument under threat today was down Pennsylvania Avenue
The capital
On Whose steps President Trump talked about American Carnage for years ago
Saw the closest attacked more than 200 years ago
The president who had once threatened to quell protests over racial Justice with the Insurrection Act
Had spurred an act of insurrection
Is encouragemints today ugly flower of four years of dismantling
Ocracy together
Is lie about a stolen election was just the latest in the campaign against the very nature of Truth
To an audience eat Prime to believe that the government was made up of sinister forces trying to steal their Liberty
Members of Congress some of whom he had targeted we're forced to follow the emergency instructions put in place after
When the extremist threat was supposed to be coming from overseas
Capitol Police had to draw their sidearms
Protesters were violent
Some stopped to take pictures in the Capitol rotunda where they're hanging paintings
The pilgrims Landing
The signing of the Declaration of Independence
There's also a painting in the moment George Washington willingly
As commander-in-chief of the Continental Army
The artist John Turnbull was inconceivable
Because usually leaders claim to power no matter what
Washington does that he will be the greatest man in the world
American monuments have power because they Inspire the conduct
In this case Washington's virtue restraint
Character
Washington put the nation over his personal ambition
Donald Trump's personal ambition has convulsed the nation
That is a far greater threat to America
Been any threats from which President Trump May perceive himself
As the protector
And is John Dickerson so eloquently put it
The historical references to the clinging of power
What today was supposed to be just part of a peaceful
Transition of power
Became instead
The ugliest
Representation
Of
Miss representation
Lies and conspiracies in the ugliest part of politics
Attended more than 75 rallies I bet a lot of trump supporters they talk about making America great again
What happened today made America sick today
Betamerica embarrass today
Betamerica shamed today
Is criminality
At its worst
Ugliest form
Nao the country
A profound Apollo
Unless you see the members of Congress Republicans denouncing what
And I remember this one thing we talked about this earlier
I asked a senior aide to the president elect how many going to be able to work with Republicans
Who can test the results of the selection in the senior aide said well was Voting to certify
Puno approve reality
Make a large bipartisan majority
Remember that
Can majority of Democrats Republicans inside the capitol tonight
Agree with reality
Invited will become president in two weeks
Democracy did not break today but it was
Tested
And tonight we'll see but many lawmakers will do to move forward with the peaceful
Transition of power
It is the Hallmark
Have a great democracy
There will be much more on the assault on the US Capitol tonight on our 24-hour streaming service cbs.n
And on your local news on the CBS station
Tomorrow on CBS This Morning
We'll leave you with some pictures
From this day
And we remember
A great nation
Those who serve
For now I'm Norah O'Donnell CBS News Washington
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In 60 years we went from about a hundred thousand Factory workers to probably about
7000g some factors are still humming
Most of them are just kind of abandon
Right now is one of the largest and fastest-growing Industries in America
And yet it continues to be the absolute lowest paying employer in the United States
Barely anybody is making enough to live by
It's literally a slave wait I don't remember growing up like this my mom didn't have to go to Food Bank
I never want another family to go through with me and my family went to one Denzel with murder
Please have partnered with local businesses to implement a camera surveillance Network
Face recognition on everything Police pull me over
Company it was photographic evidence that they were using to accuse you of a crime yes it is crazy
You look nothing like that person what would you be right now if the judge looking at the photos made of
Artificial intelligence
Watch the covid economically shutdown hit Las Vegas harder than any other major city in the
It's absolutely decimated the entertainment community
Looks fairly busy this is just a fraction of what business was like prior to covid
Another large Hotel chain that 18.000 where that go
I haven't seen any jobs that car even close
We're trying to keep things as normal for a kids have a sixteen-year-old daughter and
And a twelve-year-old son and I see everyday people live in their homes having to leave Las Vegas
Start over somewhere else I have to start over download
Hello everyone I'm Lana Zack thank you for joining me at a moment when our democracy has been assaulted
But has yet again rally
And a symbol of the resiliency of our democracy the Senate has reconvened after hundreds of President Trump
Supporters stormed the US Capitol building
Force their way into the building battling with Capitol Police they took over offices
Smashed windows
And Bruce Lee Enter the Senate chamber at least one person has been killed
Others have been injured
The House and Senate were evacuated holding the counting process
The FBI and police and National Guard have all been called in DC is under curfew until Thursday morning
President Trump released a pre-taped video in response to the protest
He told his mom of supporters quote go home
We love you you're very special
He also repeated his false claims that the election was stolen from him
President Americans live from Wilmington Delaware
He said our democracy was quote under unprecedented assault
An added that America is
So much better than this
The more I want to bring in Ed O'Keefe and Chris Vancleave Ed is a CBS News political correspondent
Chris is a CBS new is the CBS News Transportation correspondent
Good to have both of you with us Chris I want to start with you
Where are you are currently a tell us a bit about how the scene has changed throughout the eve
Evening and what you witnessed today
Well it's gone from chaos and the capital being stormed with tens of thousands of people feeling the area
Back behind me to two very quiet
Hundreds of police and National Guard you can see are still out here at this late hour
Being brought in the big question of course
Why did it take the storming of the capital to have an adequate police presence to handle a crowd of tens of thousands of
People in we watch
Chaos throughout the day we watched as
Thousands and then hundreds of people
Scaled the
Scaffolding and bleachers at setup for the inauguration set for two weeks from now
It was one of the means it appears that people got into the capital they hung a giant
Trump 20/20 Banner from the capital that has been removed
And now you're looking around not the streets around the capitol or silent there are
Police cars at nearly every corner I can see and you got a very clear
Military police presence here the National Guard the DC National Guard
Out in force
At least 30 people were arrested for curfew violations we understand from this city
And we can we watch some of those people get taken into custody here before us
In front of us
As police were trying to disperse the crowd which
Is gone now
Chris these disturbing images as you're describing and as we all witnessed today we're fed
Misinformation conspiracy theory lies
One of the conspiracy is that Anne is already populating social media is that these were not in fact that this was all
Call stage to try and
And bring sympathy to two Democrats and that it was actually antifa there
The people that you saw that you witnessed
There are these rioters these mobs
Tell us the reality of what happened on the ground today
Yeah you know it was a group of Bad actors that appeared to be made up
Worsley if not exclusively
Attendees of this rally many of them
Decked out in
Trump regalia where the people who went into the capital of them afterwards one-man bragging about and showing
People
Paper he took off Nancy Pelosi's desk
Another man acknowledged he felt it was
It was his right his obligation
To have his voice be heard and it remind
They need to remind Congress that it was the people's house
The day with the Congress for working these were Trump supporters that went inside the capitol
A woman who is who is at the at the event
She she called them Bad actors she asked if if we knew who really was responsible for this
There's no indication this way there was some Grand conspiracy to
SEPTA make this appear like it
It this was needed for Trump supporters that went into the capitol today
Digital
All of them have violent intent in mind probably not but certainly
We watched a
We watch first dozens and hundreds of people
Cross a police barricade similar to this one
Climb
Onto the
The bleachers climb up the scaffolding to get onto the inauguration stage
That at the very least would be trespassing was clearly an area people shouldn't have been in
And then we watch people force their way into the capital breaking windows
Windows broken inside the capitol
Are people going into offices you heard
The
Senator Schumer Save-A-Lot
So you clearly had people with all intent and that originated from the folks who descended upon the
Capital after the president's speech this morning
Chris one last question for you the the person who showed you things that he had
Had taken stolen
Out of Senator out of House of majority leader Nancy Pelosi's office was he
Did hero believe the things got out of hand
Well you know he was adamant he didn't feel he said he left a quarter behind
So he paid for
Look like stationary he took off the speaker's desk
The people that we talked to that went inside
We're not repentance there we did talk to it the Trump supporter who has he the more about what had going on
He was dismayed he said yeah
What what what what Trump supporter should be doing this is a group that should be respecting Law and Order
There were tens of thousands of people
On the capitol grounds
I'm not clear
That as the capital was being stormed that most of the people outside were aware that was happening
So you did have a lot of people who came
They have their voice heard peacefully
Eureka practice that that they're their right to free speech
That were attending this rally and you had a group of Bad actors
That that went into the capital
We can't overstate that we know that at least seven people were injured badly enough to have to go to a hospital
One woman lost her life today inside the Kappa
Show
And while there were a lot of peaceful
Demonstrators that were there you also had this mob hits from the capital
Alright Chris Enclave thank you
And I want to turn to you obviously you have been covering this all day I believe that when you started the day
Thought you were going to be talking about the counting of electoral votes I know that that's what I have on my agenda
Let's get back to
Those moments
That was literally interrupted by this violent mob
Tell us have you seen a shift among Republicans who had previously said that
Going to to oppose the certification of the results
That are now singing a different tune after what transpired
Yeah and I'm still riding a mental list of myself as I sit here Lana yes
Some of those Republican Senators at least
Who were planning to join objections
Came back from the 6 hour break
After this
Burst of violence
At the Capitol and said that they were withdrawing objections among them
Kelly Loeffler who will be leaving the Senate soon
SD
Austin
Appointed Republican senator from Georgia James Lankford of Oklahoma who was the one speaking and was cut off
This afternoon
When the Senate was shut down
And
Senators were told to shelter-in-place before they were evacuated
Another who tonight said she's dropping objections at is Marsha Blackburn
Tennessee
And there were some others but they were sick
Republicans who voted
In favor of the objections raised
To the results from Arizona
Signaling that there still a coalition of at least a small handful and and smaller than I think it's the beginning of the day we
We initially
Who are still willing to
To be on the record with these objections that includes Ted Cruz of Texas Josh Hawley of Missouri
And the Cindy hyde-smith of Mississippi among others
Some of the most conservative or at least outspoken
Republican members of the Senate
And in the house it was just real quick they were a handful as well who said that they were withdrawing objections
But over there since it's democrat-controlled anyway
How all of this is futile and mostly academic
It was interesting seeing Langford both in that moment where where he was evacuated from the Senate
And then coming back
And then to the point that you're making out about those six Senators that still voice their objections and didn't
Seem like some of the rhetoric it's in the fire of their rhetoric at least had gone out
As well as that really interesting moment with with Senator Loeffler
I'm and the deposit she had received and
Body language for all of that
I think of you as a person giving your years of experience covering the hell that you just know every
You know lawmakers their staff
She also no members of the Capitol Police and there are a lot of questions today
About there were why there were not more Capitol police officers present or members of the National Guard present
Metro PD just seemed like the crowd overwhelmed the officers who were there
What have you learned
Yeah that's that's not overhyped
Your partner's experience but you're right
When you work up there
For any length of time
The cops that cover the various Corners that need to be protected become familiar faces and you do them
And they're going to be a lot of questions asked during the coming days
About whether Capitol Police
DC police
Other federal agencies were properly prepared for this
Part of what I think
We're going to learn
Is is that
Given that the capital since the summer essentially
Has not had
Public tours
Oriental
Public visitors
Coming in and out of the building
That they may have been in a slightly different
Croucher defensive Crouch
In preparing for what was going to happen today
Anyone living here in the
In the Washington area new
That they were about 25.000 to 30000 people coming to town
4
Demonstrations
Protests
To hear the president
This morning the mayor
Had told residents here in the District of Columbia to just avoid downtown if you can't have no reason to go down there if you don't need to
Because I bring it in about 300 members of the National Guard to help with traffic
Control and street closures and whatnot and we're going to watch what happens
But that there were no indications that this is going to have
And then if you listen to the speeches this morning on the ellipse just near the White House
You heard
The former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani
The president's son Donald Trump Jr and then the president
All essentially infer
Or encourage these
Thousands of people
To go from that event up to the Kappa
It appears that among them or already up at the capital for people who got in
And I'm broke through I'm going to be a lot of questions about
Whether officers took proper precautions to stop them
Why
That either worked or did not work
And whether they were really truly aware of what was coming their way
For where this was there some kind of a breakdown
In communication between the Capitol Police and the DC police
30
Plus
Law enforcement agencies of the local
State
And federal variety here and what we call the BMV the district Maryland and Virginia
Capitol Police Metro Police Supreme Court police Smithsonian police
You know
Treasury police
Postal Service Amtrak police
You would have thought that
They're all aware what might go down
Am I going to working together today and then maybe they weren't for whatever reason
They're going to be conversations about this in the coming days and I'll certainly local government city government
Is going to want an explanation
But certainly the District of Columbia Police for stepped-up
Held up very quickly and what's remarkable is that we know the National Guard
Personnel
From Virginia
From New Jersey
Possibly from New York
Are on their way to help
Matching away of mutual Aid the states get to each other that you might see after a natural disaster
Not after something like this
Well
We know that at least one Democratic lawmaker Minnesota congresswoman Ileana Omar is preparing articles of in
Impeachment against President Trump
We also have reporting that the 25th amendment is being discussed among members of the cabinet to remove
The president for mental incapacity
What is the latest about
Either of these afterwards what do we know about how serious they they may or may not be
Yeah they're reporting on the 25th Amendment customer colleague Margaret Brennan of course the Face the Nation moderator
But who had heard that this is serious
In that it is being discussed among cabinet officials and those that work with them directly
About whether or not to invoke it
And enforce the issue
Remember you need a majority of the cabinet plus the vice-president to send a letter to the president saying you got to go
He has the opportunity to respond
If he doesn't step down in the cabinet has to write back to him and say no no no we're serious about this
And if necessary two-thirds of Congress would have to agree
The conversations with Margaret
Has learned about our
By all accounts the most serious and significant that have been held on this subject
One that you and I know Lana is discussed
A social media
On other news channels
Casually among friends and academics and people all across the country who don't like the president and who just wish that
You know the Trump cabinet would do this well what was remarkable and alarming about
Fargo supporting tinnitus
Based on what she learned
This is indeed being discussed very seriously
And in a real way
Ask for impeachment there's a handful of
Democrats yes tonight calling for it
Not more than I think about two dozen or so at this point the other interesting thing is that this is congresswoman Corey bush from St Louis
Just got to Congress this week
Who was trying to put together legislation that would essentially expel members
Who were trying to eject to the Electoral College results another interesting move
These kinds of things happen to get introduced
Part of this is to draw attention to the lawmaker part with because they actually believe it should happen
What is it all worth doing in two weeks before Joe Biden
Becomes president
Could it be done in 2 weeks before he gets here what more damage would that do to Congress and the White House into the executive
Legislative arrangement
Relationship
And the country's mood As It prepares for new president I don't know
Butter but certainly this shows you that the
There are discussions underway and I think we'll learn much more
By this time tomorrow
Whether or not any of this was really serious
Formosa
Turn off lab shatter
However before I leave this point with you
One thing that I don't know but I have
Floated out there is that
And taking one of these actions that it might have an impact on President Trump
Oit is discussed possibly running again
I'm in the next election do you know if either impeachment or the 25th Amendment
If they were to be successfully employed would have any effect on his
His ability to run or stand for election in another in another election cycle
He either would
But you have to impeach and remove
Not just impeach
And and invoking 21st Amendment would basically stop it from happening as well
Uno
Impeachment has already happened but the vote to remove
Was not
And a number of key White House staffers we have heard have
Resigned in part because of the violence on Capitol Hill
Is there anything more that you can tell us about this
I wouldn't call him key to be Franklin at the more interest most interesting is the chief of staff to the first lady Stephanie
Grisham
The others are junior West Wing staffers who are more concerned about their own personal Futures and fortunes frankly
And they're not even worth discussing
And it's kind of laughable
That they would just go at this point I mean on principal short makes sense but I mean
It was two weeks ago
You know what's the difference
But the notable one was Stephanie Grisham tonight the chief of staff to the first lady of former
White House Press Secretary close Confidant of the First Lady
Announcing that she is indeed out
And as we discussed earlier with Major Garrett his undertale
Thought was it
If this is happening in might be happening with the blessing or understanding of the First Lady
Which may signal what she thinks about what happened today
And what she thinks about what her husband's been up to for the last several weeks
We'll see
Keep a guy again tomorrow is another important day let's see if tomorrow we learn
Of other more significant departures not only within the White House operation
But across the government
I don't want to play some of what Senator Mitt Romney said on the senate floor earlier Wednesday evening let's play this far up your
What happened here today was an insurrection
Inside about the president
The United States
Those who choose to continue to support as a dangerous Gambit by objecting to the results of a legitimate democratic election
Will forever be seen
As being complicit
In an unprecedented attack against our democracy
No Congressional audit
Is ever going to convince these voters
Protect me when the president will continue to say that the election was stolen
The best way we can show respect
For the voters who were upset
Is by telling them the truth
Let's talk about the future of the Republican party I feel like I asked you the same question on Election night
We have heard Mitt Romney make a
Each similar
But now we're hearing other Republicans actually applauding him we heard Lindsey Graham one of her
President Trump's biggest supporters
Enough is enough
This election
What type of soul-searching is actually going on in the Republican Party end
Might there actually be a movement away from President Trump because of this
Well I think we saw some of that today for sure
At least in the public statements of several key
Officials go looking statements from Mitt Romney from Richard Burr the senior senator for North Carolina
Roy blunt the senior senator from Missouri
Who's up for re-election in two years is going to have to find a way to straddle what's left of the Republican party whatever looks like in 2 years
In order to win re-election
You saw it even in conversations we had here on CBS cbs.n with the house phone or deliver Kevin McCarthy
Despondent somewhat heartbroken by what was going on until Norah O'Donnell that he had reached out to the president pleading with him to say more
At what and then sounded angry with him about it all
Look
We've anticipated that there would be some kind of split at some point
For some real need to have a conversation about the future the party
Many thought that they use the next two to four years with the next round of Elections to sort it out but
Today Megaforce to you sooner
And I think one other
Place to watch this week is the
Quarterly meeting of the Republican National Committee which is underway in Amelia Island
I'm down in South right now
Our party leaders and a lot of the lawmakers involved in the conversations tonight
On Capitol Hill were supposed to go to speak
Answer to start planning the future the party
Let's see if that isn't an early sign of real significant concern
And disagreement over that only the structure that
Republican National Committee with the future the party
Or whether those conversations have to be postponed
But they're going to have to be some really serious
Conversations about a West Congressman Mike Gallagher Wisconsin early today about what
And when in the likelihood of conversations even just to my house Republicans about what to do
Nnec breed that they're going to have to be some
Pretty soon
In order to
Really get a sense of how they can move forward after all this
And I know it's been a long day but I can't let you go without talking about George obviously
We've reported both Reverend Raphael Warnock and John Asif our perspective are projected to have one there
Our respective races
Which means the Democrats will now hold 50 seats in the Senate and control of the Senate with vice president elect
Kamala Harris being the tie-breaking vote on party-line votes at least when she sworn in
How important was this win for the future governing of that
Of
Biden and Harris at end
Do we expect that there are going to be more claims of voter fraud of
Of disparaging the elections in Georgia is this
The at
On that question I think it all depends on what
David Perdue decides to do I don't think he's conceded officially
Last night his team had said that they would wait for all other votes and they still believe they had a shot but
At this point based on projections CBS News and other news outlets have made today looks like
The Genesis late is slim but insurmountable for the senator so
We'll see but there hasn't been much chatter about that today at least it was
Seen or talked about outside of Georgia just given events of today here in Washington
It's cute very important
To the Biden campaign
Huge relief
For them last night when they realized that this was possible
And the day began with Democrats quite ecstatic
But despite they were going despite the fact that they had to go through this academic exercise today
They knew that they were not going to be in total control
And we still haven't answer that almost immediately
With the announcement
And the anticipated announcement
Present like by this choice for attorney general
Expected he's going to name
Judge Merrick Garland senior member of The District Court of Appeals
Court of appeals for the District of Columbia
Widely seen as the second
Most important federal court in the country
You remember Merrick Garland of course was
President Obama's
Picked to serve on the Supreme Court after Antonin Scalia died
He emerged as a possible attorney general pick
In recent weeks because we knew that Biden was looking for someone who could really restore the Integrity of a department
In many ways been at the heart
Of all of the political nastiness of the Trump Administration for last four years in the
Judicial System released the prosecuting side of it is been so politicized by the Trump Administration
Garland's not only
Senior federal judge but he's a former Federal prosecutor
I had worked at the justice department in the seventies and then again in the 90s when
Prosecution's for Ted Kaczynski in
Theodore or Timothy McVeigh
The Unabomber the Oklahoma City bombers we've got
Real-world prosecutorial experience and then went to serve
On the court
I got an indication today that Garland Not only would be course unanimously approved by democrats
What is likely going to get a handful of Republican votes as well and that's exactly what you'll find in this looking for
Cabinet nominees who will get full Democratic support and now can get through by basis of the Senate rules that say you only need 50 plus
Just wanted to get so many confirmed
But also once it will find a pill with at least some Republicans
And it's been a good encouraging signal from several of them including Mitch McConnell
The most of them are going to get a hearing
And that and get confirmed rather smoothly
And you know if
If the two Democratic senators from Georgia in or
If that gets cleared out
And
Everyone agrees in the Senate that the Democrats are now in charge it could be by even maybe late next week
Did Senate confirmation hearings begin
And that would be on Payson on schedule and keeping with Norms every 4 years
New president comes in
With the goal of potentially confirming some of his pics
On inauguration day or maybe the day after
Interesting what things are still
Taking place as normal alright
The Humble the formidable at okay
Thank you
For more on all of this was bringing Charles Marino he's a CEO of Sentinel Security Solutions he's all
Also a former Secret Service supervisory special agent and former Department of Homeland Security advisor
Charles this is a dark day in American history but I have to think that we're going to get through this