NEW YORK (AP) — Stunning scenes of President Donald Trump's supporters storming the U.S. Capitol played out in searing fashion on national television.
A protester hangs from a balcony in the #Senate Chamber after Trump supporters breached the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC #USCapitol #CapitolBuilding 📷: @WinMc pic.twitter.com/pzRG8DeNq1
— Getty Images News (@GettyImagesNews) January 6, 2021
The pictures were breathtaking: security officers with their guns drawn on the floor of the House of Representatives, rioters smashing windows at the Capitol and climbing in.
Observers at the Capitol donned escape hoods and sought shelter in the House gallery on Wednesday as the Capitol police tried to subdue members of a pro-Trump mob that stormed the building and breached the Senate chamber. https://t.co/RQNCUeQrzB pic.twitter.com/dVT6mYnyLb
— The New York Times (@nytimes) January 6, 2021
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Anchors and reporters were quick to question why law enforcement wasn't prepared, given the rally that Trump had spoken at earlier in the day, and some were quick to assign blame on the president for inciting the action.
Reporters huddled with politicians inside the Capitol seeking safety from the mob outside.
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Multiple officers have been injured and at least one has been transported to the hospital as a pro-Trump mob storms the US Capitol. Follow updates. https://t.co/PlSQ5js39g pic.twitter.com/wTuIgtTMv4
— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) January 6, 2021