Trump Calls on National Guard to Quell Riot in DC, Secure US Capitol

By D. Cruz First Posted: Jan 06, 2021 08:03 PM EST

(Photo : Jon Cherry/Getty Images)

President Donald Trump called on the National Guard to help secure the US Capitol after a violent riot in DC on Wednesday.

The riot in DC broke out against members of the Congress trying to certify the results of the 2020 election, said a report from The Blaze.

USA Today reported the US Capitol was swarmed by supporters of the president, prompting Vice President Mike Pence to be swept away and the Senate chamber to be evacuated.

The National Guard was mobilized to support the responding local law enforcement.

The riot in DC was decried be several lawmakers because of the violence and destruction it caused to the nation's capital.

US Capitol on Lockdown After Riot

USA Today also said in its report that the riot started as Trump as concluding a speech.

A group of people rushed into the US Capitol as lawmakers were debating over certifying the election results.

Flash bang grenades were said to have been launched in the building and a stretcher was seen moving through the crowd as the event grew tense.

There was also a crowd of people pushing up against the inauguration stage outside the US Capitol building. Mobs began climbing up the side of the building and on the balcony at the back.

The Associated Press said in its report that guns were drawn in the House of Representatives, leading to lawmakers hiding from the intruders who want to overturn the election.

Police tried to secure a section outside the building but the crowds breached the security fencing. It was during this point of lockdown when the vice president was pulled out to a secure location.

Terry Gainer, a former chief of the U.S. Capitol Police, said the Wednesday mob was something he didn't expect in is four decades of law enforcement.

He described the crowd of Trump supporters as a "much more hateful crowd" in the "dangerous" protest. "It's definitely something new in our business," he added.

Washington Police chief Robert J. Contee III said the crowd clearly had "intent on causing harm to our officers" since they deployed chemical irritants in their move into the US Capitol building.

A report from The Hill confirmed that during the protest, a person was shot on Capitol grounds and died after a gunshot to the chest.

Trump Urged Supporters to Start Riot in DC, Reports Claim

Several reports noted that about an hour before the protesters stormed the US Capitol, Trump urged them to go to the building.

He said this to thousands of protesters gathered at the National Mall to protest the election results.

"We're going to try and give our Republicans... the kind of pride and boldness that they need to take back our country," he said.

Later on, he tweeted asking protesters to "stay peaceful" and urged them t "go home in peace." He described them as "special" people whose cause he supported.

Several social media sites deleted his message, said a report from Business Insider.

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany also came to Trump's defense by saying, "We reiterate President Trump's call against violence and to remain peaceful."