News : Barricades, broken glass and bomb threats: Inside the siege of the Capitol

Thursday, January 7, 2021

Barricades, broken glass and bomb threats: Inside the siege of the Capitol

Jan 07, 2021

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People in the House gallery took cover as protesters tried to break in.

People in the House gallery took cover as protesters tried to break in. | AP Photo/Andrew Harnik

With a big assist from Eleanor Mueller and Heather.

Your Huddle host was in the U.S. Capitol to cover the GOP efforts to challenge President-elect Joe Biden's win when a group of rogue pro-Trump rioters stormed the Capitol complex. They were driven by rage and the illusion, amplified by the president, that the election was stolen from them.

They breached the Senate and rushed through Statuary Hall until they were banging on the doors outside the House floor. I was in the House gallery, looking down as rioters tried to barge through the barricades to confront the cops, who stood with guns drawn as the last line of defense. What follows is my firsthand account of Wednesday's chaos.

HOW IT BEGAN: I was with my POLITICO colleagues inside House press gallery shortly before the joint session began at 1 p.m. Demonstrators had already encircled the Capitol outside, but if you had asked me whether the anger would escalate into the storming of one of the nation's most iconic institutions, I would have brushed you off as hyperbolic. How wrong was I?

My belief that the Capitol building is safe is shattered. People broke into a highly protected building while the vice president of the United States was presiding over a joint session of Congress, full of hundreds of America's elected officials.

ESCALATION: It didn't become clear to me how serious the situation was until I saw this tweet: https://bit.ly/2XjAJ8e

Then the lockdown messages began pouring in. No one could enter or leave the Capitol complex. Authorities ushered the group of reporters I was with into the House gallery. They barricaded the doors behind us.

The enormity of the crisis sunk in when I saw HuffPost's Igor Bobic tweet out a photo of rioters in the Senate. https://bit.ly/3hSMVGu

Fear came first, then the chaos ensued. Messages from the U.S. Capitol Police to 'Stay calm' were soon followed by police announcing they deployed tear gas in the Capitol Rotunda and members should find emergency escape hoods, which could be used essentially as gas masks, below their seats. That's when the gravity of the situation seemed to fully click for lawmakers, who also realized what was unfolding as the crinkling sound of unwrapping our hoods filled the House chamber.

BLAME: Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) shouted at his GOP colleagues: "This is your fault." Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), sitting in the House gallery, yelled at Republicans located below to ask their "friend" Trump to tell the rioters to stand down. As I recall, both were met with groans.

Then very quickly, members and staff, holding or wearing their escape hoods, were ushered from the House floor, followed by press and other lawmakers in the gallery. It was difficult to walk through the gallery because of the narrow path between the stationary chairs, not to mention the brass guardrails that section off various parts of the area. It was right as I reached the guardrail that the police shouted for everyone to take cover.

I still crossed the guardrail and after I found a suitable hiding spot, I realized the glass panels on a door to the House entryway had been shattered, and Capitol police were aiming their guns through the small holes at faceless intruders I could not see on the other side. I wondered, then, would I see someone die today?

THE EVACUATION: At some point, the evacuation resumed. And once out of the gallery, we were moved down various stairwells and hallways with a cloud of confusion over where we were going and where the intruders were at that very moment, while police officers stationed at various checkpoints told us to keep moving. It was here that the full impact of the day began to hit me. I felt my right leg shaking and I held onto the wall as we were evacuating to a safe room, while trying to ask members whether shots were fired. I was still on the job.

FINDING REFUGE: At various points I was able to link back up with my House colleagues, Melanie and Sarah, but as quickly as we were brought together, the chaos and the frenzy pulled us apart. I'd lost them by the time I reached the safe room that members and reporters were being escorted to -- or so I thought. Bug then a guard at the door stopped reporters from entering: "No press."

Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) stepped in to defend us and pressed the guard to let us in. But the guard didn't budge. As we stood confused and trying to figure what to do next in an open hallway, Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) offered us his office, where I went with five other reporters until we got the all clear hours later. We are all very grateful for your help, congressman.

The tumultuous pace of the day destroyed my sense of chronology. But even as my mind works to spit out various memories I'm sure it is trying hard to erase, I'm certain this is an episode that neither I nor our country will ever forget.

Now, for the details I didn't see.

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RIGHT BEHIND PENCE: After the rioters breached the Capitol, the vice president and top congressional leaders were whisked away to undisclosed locations as the intruders streamed through Statuary Hall and into the Senate.

"They broke windows and one man sat in the very seat Pence had been sitting in just a few minutes before, while another was in Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office," my colleagues report.

"We will not back down," read a handwritten message that was left on the speaker's desk.

CONFIRMED DEATH: "At one point, gunfire was heard inside the Capitol as Capitol police officers barricaded the doors to the House chamber, guns drawn and blocking rioters from entering. Police later confirmed one person was shot and killed, although the specific circumstances of that shooting have yet to be released," my colleagues reported.

And one rioter, who was scaling scaffolding outside of Senate leadership offices, was injured after they fell more than 30 feet from the scaffolding.

More on the chaos from Sarah, me, Melanie, Burges and Marianne — all of whom were in the Capitol as these events unfolded. http://politi.co/3nq58w2

KEEP UP WITH THE PEOPLE AND POLITICS DRIVING GLOBAL HEALTH IN 2021: The pandemic revealed just how critical it is to keep up with the politics, policy and people driving global health. The Covid-19 vaccine is here — now what? What will the distribution look like globally? Our Global Pulse newsletter connects leaders, policymakers and advocates to the politics impacting our global health. Join the conversation and subscribe today.

OTHER LINKS NOT TO MISS:

'Is this really happening?': The Siege of Congress, Seen From the Inside, by POLITICO reporters http://politi.co/38iBvbM

"Inside the assault on the Capitol: Evacuating the Senate," a firsthand account of what went down on the Senate side from the great Paul Kane: http://wapo.st/35fywyI

Video: The first moments a mob breached the Senate, captured by HuffPo's Igor Bobic: https://bit.ly/2Xj6EWg

Photos: An incredible photo essay of the day's chaos and violence from Roll Call: http://bit.ly/3bsXm2n

The day Trump broke the GOP by Burgess, Marianne and Melanie: http://politi.co/3pY7aFn

Capitol riots turn deadly: A woman killed during the Capitol riots on Wednesday has been identified as an Air Force veteran and staunch Trump supporter from San Diego: http://bit.ly/3hQQKMe

Pipe bomb found at the Republican National Committee headquarters, just blocks from the Capitol, via the New York Times: http://nyti.ms/2XjrBAs

A rolling recap of the day, from White House resignations to likely Capitol Police firings, via the POLITICO squad: http://politi.co/3omtKa9

Pipe bombs, Molotov cocktails, a long gun and 52 arrests: Heather with a Capitol police update: https://bit.ly/3hSFj6U

The full text of Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell's forceful speech denouncing the certification challenge: http://bit.ly/35l0nxB

LINGERING QUESTIONS: Your Huddle host wants to know whether the protests could continue Thursday? How many intruders stormed the Capitol? What sort of changes will Capitol police make after this glaring breach of security? Will anyone get fired?

And more importantly, what does this mean for Republicans who were the faces of the anti-certification effort like Hawley, Cruz and the House leaders who did nothing to oppose it (or even quietly encouraged members to join the effort?). Message me. Let me know your thoughts.

WHAT A NIGHT Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Jan. 7, where your Huddle host is sure a lot of people will be reconsidering some New Year's resolutions after last night. https://bit.ly/38k1CPs

MONDAY'S MOST CLICKED: The Kansas City Star's story about how a majority of the Kansas, Missouri congressional delegations planned to object to Biden's victory.

WORD OF THANKS: Your Huddle Host wants to thank you both for allowing me to share my journey yesterday with you and for all the people -- friends, sources, readers, strangers -- who reached out to ensure I was safe as events unfolded. I'm working to respond to each and every one of you (my worried parents took precedent). I am in one piece, but I will be processing this day for a long time to come.

VAX TRACK: Your Huddle host is going to start tracking vaccinations on Capitol Hill and I am relying on YOU to help. How is your office deciding who gets a vaccine and who does not? Lottery? Seniority? Vulnerability? Does the lawmaker of that office decide or is it a chief? Are you happy with how the decision to divvy up the vaccines are being made? Yes? No? Let me know → Obeavers@politico.com

CONGRESS VOTES TO CERTIFY: The House and Senate voted to certify the results of the 2020 election, the final step before Biden's inauguration Jan. 20, in a muted joint session Wednesday night. Seven hours after being forced to evacuate the Capitol, members returned to both chambers with the bulk of lawmakers, who had initially planned to object, choosing instead to withdraw their opposition in the wake of the riots. They were "reading the room."

"When I arrived in Washington this morning, I fully intended to object to the certification of the electoral votes," Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) said on the Senate floor when the chamber reconvened at 8 p.m. "However, the events that have transpired today have forced me to reconsider and I cannot now in good conscience."

But Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), who greeted rioters with a fist raised in solidarity Wednesday, did not back down: "What we are doing here tonight is actually very important. For those who have concerns about the integrity of the election ... this is the appropriate means" of contesting it, he said on the floor. He, along with five others including Ted Cruz (R-Texas), voted to challenge Arizona's electoral results in the Senate (it was originally expected to be closer to 14). The margin was significantly closer in the House, where 121 GOP members voted to challenge the same. The full story from Kyle, Burgess, Heather, Melanie and Sarah: https://politi.co/3rUMEXY.

Don't miss: This screenshot of Sen. Mitt Romney -- who described Wednesday's violence as "an insurrection incited by the president of the United States" -- glaring at Hawley from behind as he spoke. We sense an SNL skit coming on. https://bit.ly/3bjkujw

DEMS CALL FOR IMPEACHMENT NO. 2: Democrats and more than a few Republicans have unequivocally pinned the blame for Wednesday's violence on Trump, with Schumer proclaiming on the Senate floor that "this mob was in good part President Trump's doing, incited by his words, his lies." Dozens of Democrats took it a step further, demanding Trump's impeachment or calling on Cabinet officials to use the 25th Amendment to forcibly remove him. But with only two weeks until Biden's swearing in, it is highly unlikely those calls will be answered. More from our Holly Otterbein and Laura Barrón-López: https://politi.co/3bgAy5K

You know it's bad when: The National Association of Manufacturers, historically supportive of Trump and the GOP, issued a statement Wednesday urging Pence to "consider working with the Cabinet to invoke the 25th amendment," which allows the VP to declare POTUS unfit and assume control. More on business groups' pushback from our Lorraine Woellert: https://politi.co/3nq8A9P.

STILL NOT TRAVELING? NO PROBLEM. KEEP UP WITH THE WORLD FROM HOME: Our Global Translations newsletter, presented by Bank of America, layers international news, trends and decisions with contextual analysis from the world's sharpest minds. At a time when traveling is a challenge, we bring you information from around the world. For news, insight and a unique perspective that you cannot find anywhere else, SUBSCRIBE TODAY.

THE MATH JUST GOT A LOT DIFFERENT: The chaos at the Capitol largely overshadowed major news outlets calling the second of Georgia's closely watched pair of Senate runoff races for Democrat Jon Ossoff Wednesday afternoon, who officially unseated incumbent GOP Sen. David Perdue to secure the first, albeit narrow, majority for Democrats in the upper chamber for the first time since 2014.

Together with that of fellow Democrat Raphael Warnock, who bested incumbent GOP Sen. Kelly Loeffler, Ossoff's victory brings the balance of power to 50-50 -- with any tie-breaking votes falling to Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. The first? Making Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. The ledeall from our boots on the ground (with some help): https://politi.co/3968xuN

Don't blame Mitch: The Kentucky Republican's allies were quick to point the finger at Trump for the party's losses. Via our Alex Isenstadt: https://politi.co/39nDDyr

The new breakdown has outsized ramifications for Biden's agenda: First up will likely be another round of coronavirus aid -- but how big that relief package is and whether it includes the $2,000 checks Democrats and some Republicans have demanded -- remains to be seen.

But it's not all sunshine and daisies for team Biden. The razor-thin margin means that any number of more moderate senators holds the power to derail Democrats' full-steam-ahead plans. And progressive legislative initiatives hold the potential to splinter the Democratic party, with packages like the Green New Deal unlikely to ever win support from the caucus' more moderate members. The Washington Post's Paul Kane assesses how Schumer plans to navigate: https://wapo.st/2XeL6di

The question on everyone's mind: What will happen to the filibuster? The lowdown from the Los Angeles Times' Jennifer Haberkorn: https://lat.ms/3olXlAL

A message from SoftBank Group:

Entrepreneurs of color are vastly underrepresented in the tech industry. That's why SoftBank Group launched a new $100 million venture fund for outstanding Black, Latinx and Native American entrepreneurs that use technology to reimagine traditional business models and create new ones.

We are committed to demonstrating there is no tradeoff between diversity and excellence. Learn more at https://theopportunityfund.com/.

TRANSITIONS

Daria Berstell is now a professional staff member for the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, after previously serving as an LA for the committee.

Rep. Ron Estes (R-Kan.) is adding Robert Kuhlman as a senior adviser and Haley Brady as deputy chief of staff for operations. Kuhlman most recently was press secretary at OMB, and Brady most recently was chief of staff for Rep. Denver Riggleman (R-Va.).

TODAY IN CONGRESS

The House is adjourned until Monday.

The Senate is scheduled to convene for a pro forma session at 10 a.m.

AROUND THE HILL

Pelosi hosts her weekly press conference at 1 p.m. today.

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute will hold a virtual swearing-in ceremony at 7 p.m. to honor newly elected and re-elected Hispanic members. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Reps. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas), Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) and Nanette Barragan (D-Calif.), among others, participate.

TRIVIA

MONDAY'S WINNER: Henry Frisch was the first person to guess that Sam Rayburn, the longest serving House speaker, was a key mentor to Lyndon Johnson whose hideaway office then-Vice President Harry Truman found when Truman learned of FDR's passing.

TODAY'S QUESTION: From Henry: Which president was sworn in by his close relative?

The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Huddle. Send your answer to obeavers@politico.com.

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