Celebrities React as Pro-Trump Mob Breaks Into Capitol Building to Disrupt Electoral Vote Certification
Hundreds of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol building in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday (January 6) in an attempt to disrupt Congress' scheduled certification of the 2020 presidential election.
Thousands of MAGA-clad demonstrators, many of whom turned violent towards federal law enforcement over the hours, descended on D.C. Wednesday morning to protest Donald Trump's failed re-election and rally in support of his ongoing "stolen election" claim. Since his loss in November, Trump has maintained his claim that the 2020 election was "stolen" from him, though there remains no evidence.
Doubling down on his refusal to concede to president-elect Joe Biden, Trump, who was impeached on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress in December 2019, addressed the rally gathering at the White House Ellipse.
"We will never give up. We will never concede. It doesn’t happen. You don’t concede when there’s theft involved," Trump falsely claimed during his speech today, according to the Washington Post. "We won this election, and we won it by a landslide. This was not a close election."
Not long after, in an act of domestic terrorism that has been likened by many to an attempted coup, pro-Trump rioters physically broke down protective barricades and stormed the Capitol building, scaling walls, breaking windows, overtaking federal law enforcement and ultimately forcing their way into the building. The mob eventually made its way into the Senate chambers, where some even took photos.
Some lawmakers were evacuated from the Capitol, while others remain under shelter-in-place orders.
Amid the chaos, on social media celebrities weighed in with their thoughts about the surreal events unfurling in Washington, D.C.
"They are enemies of democracy," actor and activist Mark Ruffalo tweeted, sharing a video of MAGA demonstrators pushing back against federal police.
Ice T implored his followers to imagine if Black Lives Matter activists tried the same approach as pro-Trump demonstrators, while The Office star Rainn Wilson simply tweeted, "Holy sh-- our nation's Capitol is under attack by terrorists."
Pop artist Tinashe called the United States "embarrassing," while John Cusack lambasted Trump for enabling the mob.
Vice president Mike Pence called for a stop to the violence and unlawfulness.
D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser has imposed a citywide curfew effective at 6 PM (ET).
See more celebrity reactions, below.