Texas politicians in both parties pleaded for peace Wednesday afternoon after supporters backing President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol, disrupting the Electoral College certification of his reelection defeat.
鈥淚 like many people voted for President Trump in the 2020 election and hoped for a different result,鈥� tweeted U.S. Rep. , R-Austin. 鈥淏ut violence and destruction is not the way to express your grievances. This is disgraceful and has to end.鈥�
U.S. Rep. , R-Houston, was more succinct in a tweet, saying, 鈥淪top this bullshit right now.鈥�
The fracas began shortly after some GOP lawmakers, led by Texas U.S. Sen. , launched a dispute to the certification of Arizona鈥檚 electoral votes. Over the ensuing hour, scenes emerged of Trump supporters storming barricades, breaching the Capitol and even reaching at least one of the chambers.
鈥淭hose storming the Capitol need to stop NOW,鈥� Cruz wrote on Twitter, adding that violence is 鈥淎LWAYS wrong鈥� and that 鈥渢hose engaged in violence are hurting the cause they say they support.鈥�
By early afternoon, proceedings in the Capitol ground to a halt as security rushed Vice President Mike Pence out of the U.S. Senate chamber and the building was placed on lockdown. The mayor of Washington, D.C., Muriel Bowser, ordered a curfew starting at 5 p.m.
Reports from the scene show Trump supporters swarming the hallways of the Capitol carrying pro-Trump paraphernalia 鈥� just steps from where lawmakers were meeting. Lawmakers and reporters described hundreds of pro-Trump supporters barreling past fence barricades and clashing with officers. Some demonstrators also mobbed the second floor lobby just outside the Senate chamber while law enforcement officers attempted to guard the chamber doors.
鈥淚鈥檓 currently sheltering in place. The Capitol building has been breached and both chambers are locked down,鈥� wrote U.S. Rep. , D-El Paso. 鈥淭his is the chaos and lawlessness has created.鈥�
Several others Democrat lawmakers 鈥� Reps. of Dallas, of Houston and of McAllen 鈥� tweeted that they were safe.
Amid the chaos and confusion, several Republicans encouraged Trump to rally his supporters to tamp down on the violence.
鈥淢r. President, get to a microphone immediately and establish calm and order. Now. And work with Capitol Police to secure the Capitol. It鈥檚 the last thing you鈥檒l do that matters as President,鈥� U.S. Rep. of Austin. In a subsequent interview with The Texas Tribune, Roy, who noted he and his staff were safe, called on the White House to 鈥渢ake action immediately鈥� and for the president to 鈥渟peak and tell people to retreat from the Capitol.鈥�
Among those in Washington on Wednesday was Attorney General , who spoke at a pro-Trump rally outside the White House before Congress began the Electoral College certification process. Last month, Paxton led an unsuccessful lawsuit challenging the presidential election results in four battleground states.
On Wednesday afternoon, Paxton called for calm.
鈥淚 am sorely disappointed today in the certification of the election, but I don鈥檛 believe violence is the answer,鈥� Paxton said.
Another state leader, Gov. , issued a statement saying the 鈥渧iolence and mayhem must stop.鈥� Lt. Gov. also addressed the situation in a statement that invoked both the pro-Trump protesters Wednesday and apparently those who demonstrated against police brutality last summer.
鈥淭hose who burned down our cities last year and those who stormed the U.S. Capitol today do not represent the people of this country,鈥� Patrick said. 鈥淲e can disagree loudly and protest peacefully but the behavior we鈥檝e seen today and in the last year can never be acceptable to any American.鈥�
Patrick chaired Trump鈥檚 reelection campaign in Texas and has sided with him in his post-election fixation with voter fraud despite no evidence of widespread fraud. Patrick at one point offered up to $1 million as a reward for evidence of fraud.
The Republican Party of Texas also weighed in, saying in a that it supports free-speech rights but 鈥渨e do condemn violence and pray for all in our nation鈥檚 capital.鈥� Its chairman, Allen West, was a vocal supporter of Paxton鈥檚 lawsuit and suggested secession by 鈥渓aw-abiding states鈥� after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the suit. West has also appeared at 鈥淪top the Steal鈥� events following Trump鈥檚 reelection defeat.
The state party also said it was removing its sergeant at arms, Walter West, due to a statement he had made 鈥渁bout the lawlessness occurring at the Capitol Building.鈥� The party said it 鈥渋n no way endorses鈥� his statement. West made multiple Facebook posts Wednesday encouraging people who were storming the Capitol, including one where he shared images of the protesters and said, 鈥淵ou Accepted ANTIFA burning down your cities鈥� Now Deal with them taking back OUR HOUSE!鈥�
Perhaps the strongest condemnation of the pro-Trump rioters among Texas Republicans came from former Rep. of Helotes. He wrote in a tweet: 鈥淭his is an attack on our democracy and domestic terrorism to try to stop certifying elections. This should be treated as a coup led by a president that will not be peacefully removed from power.鈥�
There were also denunciations from Texas Republicans who had resisted objecting to the Electoral College certification, including Roy.
鈥淭o those storming the Capitol 鈥� I am on the House floor and I will not be deterred from upholding my oath, under God, to the Constitution by mob demand,鈥� he wrote. The Austin-area Republican made his disdain for Wednesday鈥檚 events clear, telling the Tribune he didn鈥檛 think Congress 鈥渟hould be going down this road鈥� of objecting to the certification and calling for criminal action against members of the mob who breached the Capitol.
鈥淧eople need to go jail,鈥� Roy said. 鈥淭hey need to go to jail for a very long time.鈥�
Early Wednesday evening, U.S. Rep. , R-Tyler, a staunch pro-Trump Republican, urged protesters to refrain from violence. Gohmert was the subject of a censure resolution from Democratic U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, of Florida, after he warned of post-election violence following a string of court losses by Trump and his supporters.
鈥淧lease people; no violence. That only hurts our cause. Those leading the charge like the guy in yellow with the communist hammer & sickle tattoo: stopping the violence applies to you too,鈥� Gohmert tweeted.
Texas Democrats, meanwhile, were explicit in linking the harrowing scene to Trump鈥檚 refusal to accept the election outcome and belligerent rhetoric.
鈥淭his is what Trump wanted,鈥� tweeted U.S. Rep. , D-Austin. 鈥淭rump鈥檚 sedition: determined to keep us from doing our constitutional duty.鈥�
At a news conference in Delaware, meanwhile, Biden said Trump supporters鈥� breach of the Capitol was 鈥渁n assault on the rule of law like few times we鈥檝e ever seen it.鈥� The Democrat went on to demand that Trump go on television and publicly 鈥渄emand an end to this siege.鈥�
鈥淎t this hour, our democracy鈥檚 under an unprecedented assault, unlike anything we鈥檝e seen in modern times,鈥� Biden said. 鈥淎n assault on the citadel of liberty, the Capitol itself.鈥�
In an interview with C-SPAN, U.S. Rep. , D-Laredo, said the pro-Trump rally that took place earlier Wednesday likely 鈥渟ent a strong message to a lot of the folks here.鈥� Cuellar then reprimanded Trump for being 鈥渜uick to call the National Guard ... and other folks to certain places when the left was protesting,鈥� but not responding as fast to condemn his own supporters.
Trump previously called on his supporters to rally in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday. At a protest earlier in the day, Trump acknowledged that rallygoers were going to march toward the Capitol to encourage lawmakers not to certify the vote.
鈥淚 know that everyone here will soon be marching over to the Capitol building to peacefully and patriotically, make your voices heard today,鈥� he said.
After facing criticism for not doing enough to end the violence at the Capitol, Trump tweeted a video Wednesday afternoon urging his supporters to 鈥済o home in peace鈥� 鈥� though he continued to share a baseless claim that the election had been stolen from him.
鈥淲e have to have law and order. We don鈥檛 want anyone hurt,鈥� he said in a video message filmed at the White House. Then, the president appeared to offer encouragement to his supporters: 鈥淲e love you. You鈥檙e very special,鈥� Trump said. 鈥淚 know how you feel.鈥�