Several GOP lawmakers who have stoked President Donald Trump’s unsubstantiated claims of election fraud spoke out on Wednesday as Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol.
A protest led by Trump supporters outside the building turned into a serious threat as people scaled walls outside of the Capitol and entered the chambers where lawmakers were engaging in the procedural process of counting Electoral College votes.
More than a dozen GOP senators and dozens more Republican House members had indicated they planned to object to certifying votes in key battleground states, though Biden’s victory was still expected to be upheld.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, voiced his objection to certifying Arizona’s votes toward the beginning of the joint session on Wednesday, prompting a standing ovation from other members.
Later, when protesters stormed the Capitol building, Cruz admonished on Twitter, “Those storming the Capitol need to stop NOW. The Constitution protects peaceful protest, but violence—from Left or Right— is ALWAYS wrong. And those engaged in violence are hurting the cause they say they support.”
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., who had indicated his intention to object to the Electoral College results, thanked law enforcement in a statement on Wednesday afternoon and called for the violence to end.
“Congress must get back to work and finish its job,” he wrote.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., called the riots “un-American.”
“I condemn any of this violence that is happening in the Capitol right now. I could not be sadder or more disappointed at the way our country looks at this very moment,” McCarthy, told Fox News during the riot on Wednesday. “This is not the American way. This is not protected by the First Amendment. This must stop now.”
On Sunday, McCarthy told The Hill he felt it was “right” to debate the Electoral College votes at the joint session, saying, “how else do we have a way to change the election problems?”
Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., who had planned to object on Wednesday, condemned protesters for “prohibiting us from doing our constitutional duty. I condemn them in the strongest possible terms. We are a nation of laws.”
Trump’s former chief of staff Mick Mulvaney criticized the president for not putting out a more forceful statement condemning the rioters.
“The President’s tweet is not enough. He can stop this now and needs to do exactly that. Tell these folks to go home,” he wrote on Twitter. Mulvaney told Yahoo Finance Live in an interview shortly after the election that lawyers trying to prove election fraud on behalf of Trump “have to put up or shut up on the evidence for the lawsuits.”
Trump had tweeted Wednesday, “Please support our Capitol Police and Law Enforcement. They are truly on the side of our Country. Stay peaceful!”
He later added, “Remember, WE are the Party of Law & Order – respect the Law and our great men and women in Blue.”
Later, Trump posted a video again calling for no violence but also reiterating his unsubstantiated claim that the election was “stolen.”
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who was not one of the known members expected to object to the results, also pleaded on Twitter for Trump to offer more assistance.
“Mr. President @realDonaldTrump the men & women of law enforcement are under assault. It is crucial you help restore order by sending resources to assist the police and ask those doing this to stand down,” he wrote.
Rubio has previously said claims of election irregularities or fraud should be decided by the courts. Trump and his allies have lost or withdrawn dozens of legal cases over the election.
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., a strong ally of Trump’s, tweeted Wednesday, “This violence is unacceptable and needs to be met with the full force of the law.”
Cotton previously said he would not object to the election results, but has expressed concern about “irregularities” in the presidential election, without presenting any evidence.
Cotton said in a statement before the proceeding Wednesday that even if Republicans prevailed, it “would essentially end presidential elections and place that power in the hands of whichever party controls Congress,” according to The Washington Post.
Arizona’s Republican Gov. Doug Ducey, who certified Biden’s win in the state tweeted Wednesday, “In America, we practice peaceful transitions of power. We respect the law and law enforcement. The scene at the United States Capitol right now is wrong and has no place in our form of government. All should denounce, and it should end now.”
Though Ducey certified Biden’s win, he has been criticized for not dismissing baseless claims of election fraud forcefully enough.
