Vice President Mike Pence called the day’s riots by a pro-Donald Trump mob a “dark day” and said he condemns the violence “in the strongest possible terms” as Congress returned to work on certifying his boss’ election loss.
“Let’s get back to work,” Mr Trump’s long-loyal No. 2 said to a standing ovation from senators of both parties.
“To those who wreaked havoc in our Capitol today: you did not win. Violence never wins. Freedom wins,” he said in remarks that stood in sharp contrast to a short video Mr Trump posted essentially defending the angry mob he incited at a rally around midday. “And this is still the people’s house. And as we reconvene in this chamber the world will again witness the resilience and strength of our democracy.”
Mr Pence spoke to what he called “unprecedented violence and vandalism.”
“The violence was quelled. The capitol was secured. And the people’s work was secured. We condemn the violence that took place here in the strongest possible terms. We grieve the loss of life in these hallowed halls, as well as the injuries suffered by those who defended our capital today,”the vice president, for 13 more days, said, praising law enforcement officials even though video taken inside and outside the Capitol earlier Wednesday showed officers standing by as rioters ran amok and walked out of the building.
Some officers posed for selfies with the mobsters.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell went further than Mr Pence in his returning remarks, calling them “thugs.”
“The United States Senate will not be intimidated. We will not be kept out of this chamber by thugs, mobs or threats,” he said. “We will not bow to lawlessness and intimidation.”
Despite the crowd being a deeply conservative one made up of his party’s core voters, Mr McConnell called the angry crowd “unhinged.”
“We’ve never been deterred before, and we’ll be not deterred today,” he said. “They tried to disrupt our democracy. They failed.”
In a remarkable moment, he called the attack a “failed insurrection.”
When the angry mob busted out windows and surrounded the House and Senate chambers, they disrupted the chambers’ work on certifying President-elect Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory – and planned Republicans objections that came in response to Mr Trump’s calls for lawmakers to try overturning the results so he could secure a second term.
Mr McConnell said Congress would complete the certification “tonight.”
“This will be a stain on our country not so easily washed away,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said as he spoke after Mr McConnell, saying the assault was one final awful moment of Mr Trump’s presidency.
“These were rioters and insurrectionists. These were goons, thugs, domestic terrorists,” Mr Schumer said. “They should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”
The New York Democrat accused Mr Trump of inciting the rioters, saying: “This president deserves a good part of the blame. … Today’s events certainly, certainly would not have happened without him.”
A few moments later, Oklahoma Republican James Lankford, who was speaking when the chamber was cleared by law enforcement, signaled objectors would stand down, saying Mr Biden would be the next president.
