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Arizona Democratic congressman recounts chaos during deadly U.S. Capitol riot
Ruben Gallego says he never thought his Marine Corps combat training would have to be used within the chambers of Congress.
PHOENIX - Several lawmakers from Arizona were inside the U.S. Capitol Building during the deadly riot on Jan. 6.
The skirmishes between protesters and police came shortly after Trump addressed thousands of his supporters, riling up the crowd with his unfounded claims of election fraud at a rally near the White House on Wednesday ahead of Congress' joint session to count the Electoral College votes.
During the chaos, one Arizona congressman, Ruben Gallego, helped get other members to safety.
"Once we got everyone off the house floor, we evacuated to a secure location. I can’t mention it because it’s designed for all types of instances," said Rep. Gallego.
Staffers and members wrestle with safety hoods from under the desks as protestors breach the Capitol building during the 117th Congress holds a joint session to certify the Presidential election results, in Washington, DC on January 06. Rep. Rep. Rub … (Photo by Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
During the chaos, Rep. Gallego jumped on a chair in the House floor to direct traffic.
Rep. Gallego didn’t think he’d have to use Marine Corps combat training in the chamber, but when a mob breached the Capitol, it was chaos.
"The problem is that there was no leadership on the floor," said Rep. Gallego. "Once they took away the leadership, there was Capitol Police. They didn’t give us clear instructions. They were telling us to do this and do that, but they weren’t communicating."
Rep. Gallego called it a failure of Capitol police. In the aftermath of the riot, a woman in the group that stormed the Capitol was shot and killed, while others roamed the Capitol, causing damage and taking selfies.
Rep. Gallego wants to see them all arrested.
"Some of the people I’ve seen over and over protesting, all across the country on TV were there, including the weirdo from Arizona with his whole Buffalo outfit who’s been protesting a couple years in Arizona," said Rep. Gallego. "By the way, we’re gonna start rounding up these people. The good thing about them being idiots and not wearing masks is we have facial recognition, and we’re going to round up these people. They’re gonna be arrested."
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