Post by Wayne Smith on Jan 7, 2021 8:45:18 GMT 10
A protester stands on scaffolding outside the US Capitol Building. Picture: AFP.
Congress: This isn’t a protest but an insurrection: Joe Biden
The joint session of Congress to count the electoral votes has been halted after protesters stormed the Capitol. US Vice President Mike Pence, in defiance of President Donald Trump, says he will not intervene to stop the certification by Congress of Democrat Joe Biden’s election victory. Thousands of President Trump’s supporters are gathered, many without masks, around the Washington Monument and stretch across the National Mall toward the Ellipse in front of the White House, where Mr Trump said he would never concede and implored Republicans to work to overturn the election results.
White House staffers had to “beg” Donald Trump to go on television to order protesters home, CNN reports.
Aides were “horrified” by the scenes on Capitol Hill and asked the President to deploy the National Guard to the Capitol. Unnamed aides told CNN Mr Trump was not up to the job of calming the situation, only of fanning the flames of violence.
Law enforcement has identified suspicious packages at the headquarters of both the Republican and Democratic National Committees on Wednesday and ordered both buildings evacuated, according to officials for both parties.
The device found at the RNC was detonated by a bomb squad, an RNC official said. A DNC spokesman said the party was working with Capitol Police and that essential personnel had been evacuated.
Most RNC officials weren’t in the building because the annual winter meeting is set to be held later this week in Florida.
Law enforcement identified the device around midday, hours before a pro-Trump mob stormed the U.S. Capitol, where lawmakers were meeting to certify Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory.
The discovery of the devices was earlier reported by the New York Times.
Both parties’ headquarters are located blocks from the Capitol.
Riot police are now moving the mob away from the Capitol building. US television is showing a line of armed police forcing the protesters away from the building. However the police are outnumbered by protesters and there are fears of increased violence as night falls.
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I read a biography about Trump written by Trump years before he became President or was on The Apprentice. He freely admits to corruption in his construction business. To be honest I would have voted for him if I was american just because he wasn't a career politician and being a businessman even a bankrupted businessman he might be good for the economy. Turns out he was and he did some other great things. Certainly shook things up. An unpredictable president is great for keeping china on its toes and wary. But his ego and ignorance are unforgivable. The guy had Elon Musk as a scientific adviser and lost him because he can't take advice from smarter more knowledgeable people. Now he's acting like a two year old destroying his toys so another kid can't play with them. Legacy? He'll be remembered as America's biggest mistake in decades.