U.S. Capitol besieged, drawing historic outcry from elected officials, business leaders

File photo The U.S. Capitol, shown here at a more peaceful time, on Wednesday was stormed by a mob of Trump supporters.

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By William Hall

Business and government leaders are condemning mob violence that broke out Wednesday at the U.S. Capitol, leaving four people dead, congressional halls in shambles, and Americans shaken.

In the early afternoon, as Congress began to tally Electoral College results from November’s presidential election, President Donald Trump urged supporters at a nearby rally to march on the Capitol in protest. Hundreds of them heeded the call, broke through security barriers around the complex, and stormed the building itself.

Rioters clashed with police, broke windows and ran amok in offices and the Senate chamber after lawmakers evacuated. A woman was shot amid the chaos and later died, and three other people died from medical emergencies. Multiple police officers suffered injuries.

After hours without a public response, Trump dispatched the National Guard to assist police and tweeted out a video telling rioters to go home. By early evening, the melee had subsided and Congress resumed vote counting, eventually confirming President-elect Joe Biden’s victory.

The violent, civilian attack on and in the Capitol — the like of which has never before occurred in U.S. history — brought swift rebukes from Maine elected officials and others.

During the afternoon U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, issued a statement saying, “The lawlessness and violence on Capitol Hill today was a dangerous, shameful, and outrageous attack on our democracy. But this attack will not deter Congress from performing our constitutional duty. We will affirm the certified results of the presidential election.”

After safety concerns forced members of Congress to leave the Senate chamber, U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine 1st District, tweeted that she was sheltering in a safe location on Capitol Hill.

“Pres. Trump lit the match that started an attempted coup in the Capitol,” she said. “Congress must immediately impeach and remove this dangerous man from office. He is a threat to our national security and I support the Cabinet invoking the 25th Amendment.”

The amendment allows the immediate removal of a president from power upon a declaration by the vice president and a majority of Cabinet secretaries.

Other responses

“Today’s violent insurrection at the Capitol is an unspeakably sad moment for our nation — one I never thought I would see in our country … Sadly, the tragic events of this day were entirely predictable. When people are fed a consistent and increasingly inflammatory diet of manifestly untrue statements and baseless conspiracy theories, it is no surprise that they would eventually turn to violence. The responsibility for what happened at the Capitol rests squarely on the shoulders of Donald Trump.”
— U.S. Sen. Angus King Jr., I-Maine

“This is a sad day for our country. Donald Trump called for these rallies, and he helped incite them to riot with his speech today. While we should not be surprised by the president's actions — he has been signaling his intentions for months — he should be held accountable for today's violence.”
— U.S. Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine 2nd District

“I do not believe what we are seeing today is sanctioned by most Americans; nor do I believe it represents the true character of the American people. But it is a clear and troubling reflection of our fractured nation. The violence must end, and all leaders, of every political stripe, including the President, must forcefully denounce these actions and defend our democracy.”
— Maine Gov. Janet Mills

“I am stunned, saddened, and maddened as I join so many voices condemning the violence today in Washington, D.C. at the U.S. Capitol. Peaceful transfer of elected leadership at all levels of government is a core tenet of our democracy, and what we have seen and experienced today threatens, indeed dismantles, this American principle. While peaceful protest is an American right, violence and destruction is not.”
— Portland Mayor Kate Snyder

“Today marks a sad and shameful chapter in our nation’s history. Those responsible for this insurrection should be held to account, and we must complete the transition to President-elect Biden’s administration. It’s especially when they are challenged that our ideals matter most.”
— Apple Inc. CEO Tim Cook

“Holding free and safe elections and resolving our differences peacefully are foundational to the functioning of democracy. The lawlessness and violence occurring on Capitol Hill today is the antithesis of democracy and we strongly condemn it."
— Google CEO and co-founder Sundar Pichai

"I strongly condemn the violence taking place in our nation's capital. This is not who we are as a people or country. We are better than this."
— JPMorgan Chase & Co. Chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon