US Capitol Lockdown: Illinois congressmen take shelter, Republican MP Adam Kinzinger says ‘This is a coup attempt’

CHICAGO (WLS) – Representatives of the Illinois Congress are locked in the U.S. Capitol while a crowd of Trump supporters stormed the building, smashing windows and violating the House chamber by refusing to accept the president’s electoral defeat.

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Republican MP Adam Kinzinger, who represents the 16th district of Illinois, stated this clearly on Twitter: “This is a coup attempt.”

The unprecedented scene and the violation of the Capitol building took place while the Senate and the Chamber argued during the certification of the results of the Electoral College, which affirm that Joe Biden won the election and will be the 46th president of the United States.

After President Trump tweeted that Vice President Pence “did not have the courage to do what should be done to protect our country and our Constitution”, after Pence confirmed that he did not have the power to overturn the results of the Electoral College and I wouldn’t do it then, Kinzinger replied, saying, “You are not protecting the country. Where is the DC guard? You are finished and your legacy will be a disaster.”

Kinzinger also released a video statement on Twitter, saying in part: “The invasion of the capitol was an attempted coup, with the aim of nullifying the election of a newly elected president. The current president incited this coup, encouraged him and did little to protect the Capitol and the Constitution. I reject this chaos and I condemn the President for allowing this to happen. “

He went on to say: “This authoritarian bully is what the founders feared, and it is not what the Republican Party stands for. He is no longer the leader of our party, and our party must reject his acts of betrayal if we are to regain confidence. of the majority of this country. “

Kinzinger urged his party leaders, including Congressman Kevin McCarthy and Senator Mitch McConnell, to “vigorously denounce his actions and their consequences”.

Speaking live to George Stephanopoulos of ABC during special coverage, Kinzinger did not back down from that stance, condemning the actions of both the president’s supporters and the president himself and offering a bleak view of the day’s repercussions for the Republican Party.

“If we continue on this road of cultural war, owning the left, you know, invading the capital, I think we will be a failed party in the not too distant future,” he said.

Deputy Raja Krisnamoorthi (D-IL 8) was locked in the capitol with Texas Democratic deputy Joaquin Castro after being evacuated from the Chamber.

“They retreated at the House until things were resolved, but they evacuated Mike Pence to a safe place within the capitol and basically everyone was asked to find an office and shelter on the spot, so that’s why I’m blocked with my good friend Joaquin Castro in his office, “said Krisnamoorthi to Stephanopoulos.

WATCH: Video shows Trump supporters climbing the U.S. Capitol building

Bill Foster (D-IL 11th District) said he was on his way to the capital, but he wasn’t there yet when the crowd broke into the building. It is currently safe and sheltered several blocks away.

“This is something that, in fact, the responsibility is in the hands of every politician who has tolerated lies and threats of violence in the past decade or more,” Foster told ABC7 Eyewitness News. “

Foster said he had not yet gone to the capitol because Democrats asked them to limit the number of people in the room to only those who spoke due to COVID-19 security issues. He said that while the Democrats largely respected the request, the Republicans “thought it best to pack the kingdom.” As such, he believes that most of the people present when the blockade took effect were Republicans.

Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth said she was also on her way to the Senate floor to speak when she was ordered to turn around. She said she was safe in a “safe place” and blamed President Trump for the unrest.

Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin also tweeted about the Capitol riot, saying “President Trump incited his followers to violence. They invaded the Capitol and interrupted the House and Senate session. We do not know at this time the extent of the damage or injuries they This shameful chapter in our nation’s history is Donald Trump’s true legacy. On January 20, we can begin the process of healing this country’s wounds and start putting this national nightmare behind us. “

Deputy Chuy Garcia (D-IL 4th District) said he was also taking shelter in his office, but he had not been to the plenary before the crowd invaded the Capitol.

“I think there are certainly grounds for impeachment, perhaps for other measures,” said Garcia of the unprecedented situation. “I think the most important thing for this newly installed Congress, we took the oath to protect the Constitution, to continue with its work of considering the certification of the results of the Electoral College and to do with it.”

Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar tweeted on Wednesday afternoon that she is writing impeachment articles as a result of the riot, he said of Trump: “We cannot allow him to remain in office, it is a matter of preserving our Republic and we must fulfill our oath.”

Freshman Rep Marie Newman (D-IL 3rd) tweeted that she and her team are safe and secure in place.

It was unclear how long the shelter would last, nor when the houses of Congress would resume certification by the Electoral College.

Congressman Brad Schneider (D-IL 10th District) released a statement to confirm that he is safe, saying: “This afternoon, while I was in the Chamber of Deputies for the counting of the electoral college votes, the protesters violated the areas of security and they entered the Capitol. After sheltering briefly on the site, we were safely evacuated from the Capitol building. I am currently safe and secure. I thank everyone for their due concern and the actions of the United States Capitol Police. Pray for our nation. “

Congressman Mike Quigley (D-IL 5th District) released a statement confirming that he is safe, saying: “First, I want to thank the Capitol Police for keeping us safe today. Make no mistake: President Trump and his facilitators are personally responsible for inciting this violence and he must immediately and unequivocally condemn it and urge his followers to withdraw. This clear act of domestic terrorism may have succeeded in delaying President Elect-Biden’s certification, but there should be no doubt that he will actually be president on January 20th. ”