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Jan. 7 highlights and analysis of unrest in Washington, D.C.

The rioting at the Capitol left four dead and several injured after Trump urged protesters to march on the building.
Image: Scenes from the protests and riots at the Capitol on Jan. 6 with a large Capitol dome on a red background.
Chelsea Stahl / NBC News

Several senior Trump administration officials resigned Thursday after rioting and bloodshed by violent Trump supporters at the Capitol on Wednesday left four people dead and drew calls from members of Congress for an investigation into security measures around the complex.

Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao was the first of Trump's Cabinet secretaries to announce she was resigning, and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos followed hours later.

A police officer died Thursday night from injuries suffered during the pro-Trump mob's breach of the Capitol.

Congress confirmed President-elect Joe Biden's election victory early Thursday morning — more than 14 hours after the tally began — after members were whisked away just after the proceedings had started when a mob of Trump supporters overran the building. Biden is scheduled to be inaugurated as the 46th president on Jan. 20.

This live coverage has ended. Continue reading news from Jan. 8, 2021 about the backlash over the riots.

Read the highlights:

— 'Deeply troubled' by Capitol riot, Transportation Secretary Chao resigns.

What happened after Trump told supporters to swarm the Capitol.

— Law enforcement officials across U.S. shocked by police failure to stop rioters.

— Trump loyalists push evidence-free claims that antifa activists fueled mob.

— How an ordinary Congress vote devolved into disarray.

More than 200 congressional lawmakers now calling for Trump's removal

More than 200 members of the U.S. Senate and House support the removal of President Donald Trump, according to an NBC News' count.

The calls are in reaction to Wednesday's riot at the U.S. Capitol by a pro-Trump mob, which followed months of Trump claiming the election he lost was fraudulent or stolen, claims for which there is no evidence, and a rally Wednesday. Trump has been accused of inciting the violence.

The measures discussed include a possible second impeachment or the 25th Amendment. Almost all are Democrats or Independents; Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Illinois, is the only Republican.

Trump will leave office in a little less than two weeks, on Jan. 20 when Joe Biden is inaugurated. On Thursday, Trump in a video acknowledged a new administration would be inaugurated and he called Wednesday's chaos "a heinous attack" and condemned the violence.

Pro-Trump militia, conspiracy theorists rioted in Capitol, not antifa

Another Trump administration official quits

Dr. Elinore F. McCance-Katz, the assistant secretary for mental health and substance use, resigned Thursday following Wednesday's riot at the U.S. Capitol by a pro-Trump mob.

McCance-Katz wrote in a statement that she had planned to stay on until the next administration, "but my plans abruptly changed last evening when, on my way back from visiting an excellent residential treatment program in New York, I saw the violent takeover of the Capitol building."

McCance-Katz did not mention President Donald Trump by name but said "I cannot support language that results in incitement of violence and risks our very existence."

Trump has been accused of inciting some in the crowd to violence with his baseless claims of voter fraud or a fraudulent election. McCance-Katz is the latest Trump administration official to quit following the riot, including Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration is an agency under Health and Human Services and was headed by McCance-Katz.

U.S. diplomats to tell world 'order will be restored, those responsible will be held to account'

Abigail Williams

After public outcries of shock and dismay from U.S. democratic allies around the world, the State Department has sent talking points to U.S. diplomats abroad on how to address the pro-Trump riots that broke out at the U.S. Capitol.

The note makes clear that the State Department’s official position is that President-elect Joe Biden will be sworn in as the next president of the United States. Till now, guidance to posts about the presidential transition has been limited, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has been reticent to publicly acknowledge Biden’s victory.

“As is being called for by representatives from across the political spectrum, order will be restored, those responsible will be held to account, and the democratic process will continue,” the communication reads. “President-elect Biden will be inaugurated on January 20.”

The State Department memo ended with a list of hand-chosen “bipartisan quotes” from President Donald Trump, Vice-President Mike Pence and Biden.

Sen. Ted Cruz says Trump 'bears some responsibility' for Capitol riot

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, who joined a doomed effort to "audit" the election results that was criticized as a publicity stunt, has said that President Donald Trump "plainly bears some responsibility" for Wednesday's riot at the Capitol.

Cruz, R-Texas, made the comments in an interview with NBC Dallas-Fort Worth, broadcast a day after a pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol.

"Look, I think he plainly bears some responsibility," Cruz said. "At the end of the day, criminals are responsible for their own conduct and the terrorists who conducted that attack, they bear the responsibility. But I think his angry rhetoric was reckless, and I think it was harmful."

Cruz joined a handful of senators to support Republican objections to counting the electoral votes in Arizona and Pennsylvania, neither of which succeeded. Cruz had called for Congress to “appoint an electoral commission to examine claims of electoral fraud." There has been no evidence of the voter fraud Trump has baselessly claimed. Cruz has argued his efforts were to give Americans "confidence" in the election.

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is second Cabinet member to resign

On Thursday, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos became the second Cabinet member to resign after a pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol.

In her resignation letter to President Donald Trump, DeVos said her boss played a direct role in the violence.

“There is no mistaking the impact your rhetoric had on the situation, and it’s the inflection point for me,” she wrote.

“Impressionable children are watching all of this, and they are learning from us,” she wrote. “… they must know from us that America is greater than what transpired yesterday.”

Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao announced her resignation earlier in the day. 

Wall Street Journal editorial calls on Trump to resign rather than be impeached

The Wall Street Journal's editorial board condemned President Donald Trump for Wednesday's deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol, and said he should resign rather than face the prospect of a second impeachment.

"It is best for everyone, himself included, if he goes away quietly," the board, which is generally seen as conservative, wrote in the editorial published online Thursday. The Journal is owned by a company controlled by media mogul Rupert Murdoch.

It says the president of the United States "incited a crowd to march on the legislative branch" and called it "an assault on the constitutional process of transferring power after an election." They say Trump was also to blame for waiting too long to call off the rioters and for hedging when he did, and was accused of betraying his supporters by lying to them about the election.

"If Mr. Trump wants to avoid a second impeachment, his best path would be to take personal responsibility and resign," the editorial board wrote.

"We know an act of grace by Mr. Trump isn’t likely. In any case this week has probably finished him as a serious political figure," the editorial reads. Thursday evening Trump in a video address acknowledged a new administration will be inaugurated on Jan. 20.

Joaquin Castro wants to ban Trump's name from ever going on a federal building

Secret Service, congressional panel vow safe inauguration

Dartunorro Clark

The U.S. Secret Service and the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies vowed  Thursday that President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration will be safe following the violent clash at the U.S Capitol. 

A spokesperson for the Secret Service said for more than a year the agency has been working "tirelessly" to ensure Inauguration Day is "safe and secure." The agency plan, the spokesperson said, prepares for all contingencies "at every level."

The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, which was created in 1901 to plan and host the inaugural ceremonies, also said in a statement that the ceremony will be safe and that Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will be sworn in on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on January 20.

"The outrageous attack on the Capitol, however, will not stop us from affirming to Americans — and the world — that our democracy endures," the bipartisan committee said in a statement. “The great American tradition of an inaugural ceremony has occurred in times of peace, in times of turmoil, in times of prosperity, and in times of adversity." 

Senate sergeant at arms resigns

Frank Thorp Vproducer and off-air reporter

The Senate sergeant at arms has resigned following Wednesday's violence at the Capitol, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said.

“Today I requested and received the resignation of Michael Stenger, the Senate Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper, effective immediately," McConnell said in a statement Thursday evening. 

Deputy Sergeant at Arms Jennifer Hemingway will fill the position.

"I thank Jennifer in advance for her service as we begin to examine the serious failures that transpired yesterday and continue and strengthen our preparations for a safe and successful inauguration on January 20th," McConnell said. 

The sergeant at arms serves as the protocol and chief law enforcement officer and is the principal administrative manager for most support services in the Senate.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., had previously said that said if Stenger had not vacated his position by the time Schumer becomes majority leader, he would fire him.

Judiciary chair Nadler supports Trump's 'immediate impeachment'

House Judiciary chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., said Thursday he supports "the immediate impeachment of the president and his removal from office" following the riot at the Capitol.

"The president called his supporters to Washington, D.C. and told them to go to the Capitol itself.  Unsurprisingly, these seditious calls to action by a desperate man and his allies achieved their intended result — violent insurrection. Donald Trump lit the match, and his allies and enablers fanned the flames of rebellion," Nadler said.

"There must be consequences. Those consequences must be commensurate with the offense, and they must begin with the president of the United States," said Nadler, who's also calling for Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Trump.

Articles of impeachment against the president would have to go through Nadler's committee, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said earlier Thursday "the Congress may be prepared to move forward with impeachment. That is the overwhelming sentiment of my caucus, and the American people, by the way."

In his statement, Nadler said, "We have a limited period of time in which to act. The nation cannot afford a lengthy, drawn out process, and I support bringing articles of impeachment directly to the House floor."

Trump's term expires on Jan. 20.

FBI now has 4,000 online tips to help identify rioters

Michael Kosnar

After asking for information from the public, the FBI Washington Field Office has received more than 4,000 tips including digital media that are now being analyzed. That includes photos and video of suspects rioting at the Capitol.

And that’s just online tips and doesn’t include tips given over the phone. 

Intelligence analysts are triaging the information, sorting out and prioritizing the best leads, getting rid of duplicates. Then any credible leads are forwarded to teams of agents working the case. 

Facial recognition software is being used, with some of the analysis being parceled out to the Criminal Justice Information Services Unit in West Virginia.

Prosecutors looking at Trump's role in riot

Tom Costello

Washington's Acting U.S. Attorney Mike Sherwin said his office will consider bringing charges against anyone who played a role in the mob attack on the Capitol.

When asked if that could include President Trump for encouraging the mob to move on the Capitol, Sherwin would not rule it out. 

Ex-White House chief of staff: I would vote to remove Trump

Former White House chief of staff John Kelly told CNN Thursday that he would vote to remove President Trump from office using the 25th Amendment if he were still a member of the Cabinet.

Kelly characterized Trump as a "laughingstock" following his election loss.  The Cabinet should meet regarding a possible removal of Trump from office, Kelly said, though he doubted it would happen.

"The behavior yesterday — and in the weeks and months before that — has just been outrageous from the president," Kelly said. "What happened on Capitol Hill yesterday as a direct result of him poisoning the minds of people with the lies and the frauds." 

When asked whether he would vote to remove Trump if he was still in the Cabinet, Kelly said he would. 

"The one thing we have going for us here, Jake, it's only 13 more days," Kelly said. 

Trump's legal team drops baseless Georgia election lawsuit, Raffensperger's office says

Dartunorro Clark

President Donald Trump's legal team voluntarily dropped a baseless lawsuit challenging the election process there on the eve of their court date, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said Thursday. 

The withdrawal came after Raffensperger sent a letter to Congress on Wednesday refuting the false claims made by the president and his supporters about widespread election fraud. President-elect Joe Biden won the state, becoming the first Democrat to do so in nearly 30 years. 

While counting the electoral votes late Wednesday night into the early hours of Thursday, Congress accepted Georgia’s electors without objection. 

However, Raffensperger said the president and his legal team continue to spread disinformation about the election. They also falsely characterized the withdrawal of the suit as “due to an out of court settlement agreement,” even though there is no such agreement, Raffensperger said in a statement. 

“Rather than presenting their evidence and witnesses to a court and to cross-examination under oath, the Trump campaign wisely decided the smartest course was to dismiss their frivolous cases,” Raffensperger said. “Spreading disinformation about elections is dangerous and wrong."

Fencing going up near White House complex

The Secret Service last night asked the U.S. Park Service put fencing up around the White House for at least a week, according to a government official familiar with the request.

The official expects the fence to remain up through President-elect Biden's inauguration. 

55 charges so far from Capitol riot, one suspect had 11 Molotov cocktails

Tom Costello

The acting U.S. attorney in Washington, Mike Sherwin, says his office has now charged 55 suspects with various offenses, including unlawful entry, assault, theft and weapons charges.

Eight suspects face gun charges. One suspect had a military style semi-automatic rifle and 11 Molotov cocktails.  

Sherwin says federal and local investigators — "hundreds of people" — are now searching social media for photos and video clips of suspects engaged in unlawful activity. Those people are being arrested as quickly as possible. Department of Justice expects this search for suspects to last all year. 

-The department also says it is looking at whether sensitive material or national security items may have been stolen from the desks of members of congress, including electronic equipment and documents.  

-When asked if the failure of Capitol Police to arrest people was making the job harder for federal officials, he said that is has.  

Sherwin also says the DOJ had flooded the rally area with agents and officers along with D.C. Metropolitan Police. "There was no violence in the crowd at that point," noting that "the tipping point occurred when they breached the capitol." 

White House fires State Dept official who called on Trump to resign

Abigail Williams

The White House has fired the State Department official who on Wednesday called for President Trump to step down, declaring him “entirely unfit to remain in office,” after rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol building in protest of Biden’s election victory, a source close to the official tells NBC News.  

Gabriel Noronha has served as a political appointee in the State Department’s Iran office for almost two years, first as a special assistant and then later as the Director of Communications and Congressional Relations. Before coming to the agency, he worked as a congressional aide for the Senate Armed Services Committee under Chairmen John McCain and Jim Inhofe.

Noronha issued a series of tweets Wednesday that increased in fervor as events at the Capital unfolded. First calling the riots “beyond shameful” and “possibly seditious,” he soon declared, “Those who invade the Capitol or encourage those who do doesn’t just “border” on sedition. It *is* sedition, plain and simple.” 

"President Trump fomented an insurrectionist mob that attacked the Capitol today. He continues to take every opportunity to obstruct the peaceful transfer of power," Noronha finally tweeted Wednesday night. "These actions threaten our democracy and our Republic. Trump is entirely unfit to remain in office, and needs to go."

Biden transition team: Pence, Congress decide whether to remove Trump from office

In response to growing calls for Vice President Pence to move to invoke the 25th Amendment, and from Democrats to consider impeachment, the Biden transition team issued a statement that essentially leaves the issue to Pence and to Congress.

From Andrew Bates, transition spokesperson: “An unprecedented number of Americans voted Donald Trump out of office because they wanted new leadership that would act decisively to bring the country together, defeat the pandemic, and put Americans back to work. Donald Trump disqualified himself long ago, and his actions to foment a violent mob in a vain attack on our democracy, which overwhelmingly failed, were repugnant."

"President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris are focused on their duty — preparing to take office on January 20th — and will leave it to Vice President Pence, the Cabinet and the Congress to act as they see fit. In the meantime, Donald Trump must stop blocking cooperation with the transition that could harm the readiness of the United States government to overcome the pandemic and the other crises he has worsened."

If invited, Pence expected to attend Biden's inauguration

Carol E. LeeCarol E. Lee is the Washington managing editor.

People around Vice President Pence are encouraging him to attend President-elect Biden's inauguration on Jan. 20 — and if he is invited, it’s expected he’ll attend.

This is yet another apparent break between the president and vice president in the wake of the president refusing to concede and stoking violence. Still no word on when Trump and Pence last spoke.

Over 100 lawmakers are calling for Trump's removal. Here's who they are.

+3

Liz Brown-Kaiser

Melissa Holzberg

Ed Demaria

Ben Kamisar, Liz Brown-Kaiser, Melissa Holzberg and Ed Demaria

More than 100 members of Congress, almost exclusively Democrats, are calling for President Donald Trump to be removed from office after a violent mob of his supporters breached the U.S. Capitol hours after he spurred those supporters on.

NBC News is tracking those calls. Read the full list of lawmakers here.

One of the four dead in DC riots suffered heart attack, family says

Kevin Greeson, one of the three people who died of a medical emergency at the Capitol yesterday, suffered a heart attack, his family said.

Greeson, a resident of Athens, Alabama, was 55-years-old.

“Kevin was an advocate of President Trump and attended the event on January 6, 2020, to show his support,” Greeson’s family said in a statement. “He was not there to participate in violence or rioting, nor did he condone such actions.”

Greeson is survived by his wife, Kristi, and children. His family said he had a history of high blood pressure.

First federal charges filed in connection to Capitol rioting

Federal prosecutors in Washington have begun filing federal criminal charges stemming from Wednesday’s assault on the Capitol.

Mark Leffingwell is charged with trespass, assaulting a federal law enforcement officer, and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. Charging documents say he tried to push past a Capitol Police officer and punched the officer repeatedly.

While being transported to the Capitol Police station for processing, the documents say, Leffingwell apologized.

Christopher Alberts is charged with carrying a 9mm handgun and ammunition on Capitol grounds. The charging documents say Alberts appeared to be slow in obeying commands to leave the area because of the curfew and had a bulge on his right him. Albert tried to flee, the documents say, but he was detained.

When questioned, he said he was carrying the gun for protection and ”did not intend on using the firearm to harm anyone.”

Ages and hometowns were not provided in the charging documents.

Pelosi calls on chief of Capitol Police to resign

Alex Moe

Frank Thorp Vproducer and off-air reporter

Alex Moe and Frank Thorp V

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., on Thursday called for the resignation of Steven Sund, chief of the Capitol Police, after a pro-Trump mob was able to storm the building.

She said she has not heard from him since the violent riot at the Capitol yesterday.

"There was a failure of leadership at the top of Capitol Police. I think Mr. Sund — He hasn’t even called us since this happened," she said during a news conference.

Eva Malecki, the spokeswoman for the Capitol Police, told NBC News prior to Pelosi's call that "the chief has no plans to step down."

Pelosi also said that she has received notice that Paul Irving, the Sergeant at Arms of the House, will submit his resignation.

Schumer vows to fire Senate sergeant at arms after Capitol riot

Frank Thorp Vproducer and off-air reporter

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said that after the events in the Capitol on Wednesday that if the Senate sergeant at arms, Michael Stenger, has not vacated his position by the time Schumer becomes majority leader, he will fire him.

“If Senate Sergeant at Arms Stenger hasn't vacated the position by then, I will fire him as soon as Democrats have a majority in the Senate," Schumer said.

The Sergeant at Arms serves as the protocol and chief law enforcement officer and is the principal administrative manager for most support services in the Senate.

Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao stepping down

Read the story.

Capitol rioter who put feet on Pelosi's desk got PPP loan

Image: US-POLITICS-ELECTION-TRUMP
Richard Barnett sits in House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office Wednesday.Sau Loeb / AFP - Getty Images

Richard Barnett, the Capitol rioter photographed with his feet on a desk in House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office, received a $9,300 forgivable loan under the Paycheck Protection Program last April, records show. 

An independent glass and glazing contractor in Gravette, Arkansas, Barnett was an early participant in the federal program that aimed to help small businesses survive COVID-related shutdowns and continue paying their employees. In his PPP application, Barnett, 60, said the loan would preserve one job, presumably his own, and was based on total payroll costs of $44,640 at his enterprise. 

Barnett did not mention receiving government assistance when he bragged to The New York Times about breaking into Pelosi's office and leaving her a nasty note. 

Efforts to reach Barnett were unsuccessful.

Deputy national security adviser Pottinger resigns

Deputy national security adviser Matthew Pottinger has resigned, his boss said Thursday. 

"Asking Matt Pottinger to serve as my deputy was my first act as NSA and it turned out to be one of my best decisions. As he heads West to rejoin his family in beautiful Utah, Matt does so with my appreciation for a job well done and with my enduring friendship," O'Brien wrote in a pair of tweets.

O'Brien added that Pottinger's work led "to a great awakening in our country and around the world to the danger posed by the Chinese Communist Party."

O'Brien didn't offer an explanation on the timing of the resignation, which came after Trump-supporting rioters stormed the Capitol building on Wednesday. 

Numerous other officials, including former acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, have resigned from the administration in the wake of Wednesday's violence, and Mulvaney told CNBC he expected there would be others following suit. 

D.C. mayor says Trump 'must be held accountable' for Capitol riot, demands control of Nat'l Guard

Mayor Muriel Bowser of Washington, D.C., said Thursday that President Donald Trump instigated the storming of the U.S. Capitol and “must be held accountable for this unprecedented attack on our Democracy.” 

“What happened yesterday, he wanted to happen,” Bowser said at a new conference. “What happened yesterday is textbook terrorism.”

Bowser said that Wednesday’s assault by a mob of Trump supporters was enabled by “catastrophic security failures” and called on Congress to “immediately transfer command” of the District of Columbia National Guard from Trump to her office to prevent a repeat of the violence that shocked the country and resulted in the deaths of four people. 

“We will be looking very closely at what we learned,” Bowser said, when asked how the district is preparing for the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden in less that two weeks. Among other things, the 7-foot “nonscalable fencing will be in place around the Capitol until after the inauguration” and there will be a much bigger security contingent on hand, the mayor said. 

Bowser noted that the federal police response to the George Floyd demonstrations over the summer was much swifter. “I’m upset by what this president has done to this city and our democracy,” she said. “I’m upset that my police officers were put in harm’s way, when they were just doing their jobs.”

Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy, who also spoke to reporters, said when asked why no troops were deployed to the Capitol ahead of Tuesday’s electoral vote counting that “no request of the D.C. National Guard was made to come onto the grounds.”

D.C. police release photos of people from Capitol riot they want to identify

Randi Richardson

The Metropolitan Police Department released photos Thursday of rioters at the Capitol that they want to identify.

Among the photos is one of a notorious QAnon supporter, who goes by Q Shaman, whose attire had people on Twitter likening him to Chewbacca.

Image: Congress Holds Joint Session To Ratify 2020 Presidential Election
A protester screams "Freedom" inside the Senate chamber after the Capitol was breached by a mob during a joint session of Congress on Jan. 06, 2021.Win McNamee / Getty Images

An unidentified rioter was fired from his job due to "demonstrating dangerous conduct that endangers the health and safety of others," Navistar Direct Marketing said in a tweeted statement. The Maryland company did not name the employee.

Here are the rest of the photos the department released.

Police are offering a $1,000 reward to anyone who provides information that leads to arrests and indictments of one or more of the rioters. 

Ocasio-Cortez calls on Cruz and Hawley to resign

Capitol police were hit in the head with lead pipes, congressman says

Rep. Tim Ryan — who chairs a key subcommittee with jurisdiction over the Capitol — just told reporters that as many as 60 Capitol Police officers were injured yesterday, including 15 hospitalized and one in critical condition.

Many were hit in the head with lead pipes, the Ohio Democrat said.

Ryan said he is "livid" over the "strategic blunder" that left the Capitol police without a solid plan and adequate reinforcements. 

He said he does not understand, and plans to investigate, why the mob was allowed to get so close to the Capitol when he was assured by police officials that could not happen, adding that there was an “intelligence failure,” to anticipate the scope of the threat.

While praising the heroics of most rank and file Capitol Police, he said he was concerned about videos showing police officers appearing to act with passivity, and in one case posing for a selfie with a rioter.

 

Hoyer says rioters stole a tribute to late Rep. John Lewis

Rebecca Shabadis in Washington, D.C.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said Thursday that rioters that stormed the Capitol stole a poster that was a tribute to the late civil rights icon, Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., who died last year. 

Before the violence began Thursday, many Democrats were alluding to Lewis and his civil rights efforts after the victories of Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock in their Georgia Senate runoff elections. 

Trump yanks Chad Wolf's Homeland Security nomination

The White House announced it was withdrawing acting Homeland Security chief's Chad Wolf's nomination to the permanent post on Thursday, shortly after he issued a statement critical of the of the president.

The White House did not say why it was withdrawing Wolf's nomination, but the announcement, came about one hour after Wolfissued a statement that said, "Any appearance of inciting violence by an elected official goes against who we are as Americans."

White House spokesman Judd Deere said the timing was coincidental. “The withdrawal occurred yesterday and was not related at all to Wednesday’s events or the Acting Secretary’s comments this morning. Acting Secretary Wolf remains the acting secretary and continues to perform the duties of his office,” Deere said in a statement.

Wolf's statement called Wednesday's riot "unacceptable. These violent actions are unconscionable, and I implore the president and all elected officials to strongly condemn the violence that took place yesterday."

Trump's withdrawal of the nomination has little real impact. Wolf would not have been confirmed before the start of the Biden administration, and Biden would have no intention of keeping him on the job. 

In his statement, Wolf said, "I will remain in my position until the end of the administration to ensure the department’s focus remains on the serious threats facing our country and an orderly transition to President-elect Biden’s DHS team."

Acting AG Rosen: Capitol rioters will 'face the full consequences of their actions'

Rebecca Shabadis in Washington, D.C.

Reacting to the violence that gripped the Capitol on Wednesday, acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen said Thursday that the Department of Justice "is committed to ensuring that those responsible for this attack on our government and the rule of law face the full consequences of their actions under the law."

"Our criminal prosecutors have been working throughout the evening with special agents and investigators from the U.S. Capitol Police, FBI, ATF, Metropolitan Police Department and the public to gather the evidence, identify perpetrators, and charge federal crimes where warranted," he said in a statement.

"Some participants in yesterday’s violence will be charged today, and we will continue to methodically assess evidence, charge crimes and make arrests in the coming days and weeks to ensure that those responsible are held accountable under the law," added Rosen, who succeeded Bill Barr as head of the Justice Department after his resignation last month. 

FBI Director Christopher Wray also said in a statement, "Let me assure the American people the FBI has deployed our full investigative resources and is working closely with our federal, state, and local partners to aggressively pursue those involved in criminal activity during the events of January 6."

"Our agents and analysts have been hard at work through the night gathering evidence, sharing intelligence, and working with federal prosecutors to bring charges," he continued.

The public can help by providing tips, information, and videos of illegal activity, he said, adding, "We are determined to find those responsible and ensure justice is served."

Schumer calls on Pence to use 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office

Presumptive Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called on Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove President Donald Trump from office.

“What happened at the U.S. Capitol yesterday was an insurrection against the United States, incited by the president," Schumer, D-N.Y., said in a statement on Thursday. "This president should not hold office one day longer."

Schumer joins a growing contingent of lawmakers from both parties to call for Trump's removal, either by using the 25th amendment or through impeachment.

Read more about the 25th amendment effort here.

Capitol police made 14 arrests last night, none were D.C. residents

Randi Richardson

The U.S. Capitol Police Department made 14 arrests related to the breach at the Capitol on Wednesday.

Most of those arrested were charged with unlawful entry, but there were also people arrested for weapons possession and assaulting an officer. 

The department released the names and hometowns of the people arrested. None of them are Washington residents.

Their charges are as follows: 

Unlawful Entry

  • Leonard Guthrie, Cape May, N.J.
  • John Anderson, St. Augustine, Fla.
  • Matthew Council, Riverview, Fla.
  • Bradley Ruskelas, Inverness, Ill.
  • Michael Curzio, Summerfield, Fla
  • Cindy Fitchett, Cobbs Creek, Va.
  • Terry Brown, Myerstown, Pa.
  • Douglas Sweet, Hudgins, Va.
  • Thomas Gallagher, Bridgewater, N.H.
  • Zandra Sixkiller-Cramer, Glenwood, Md.

Assaulting a Police Officer, Unlawful Entry, Resisting Arrest

Mark Leffingerwell, No fixed address

CPWL & Unregistered ammunition

Grant Moore, Buford, Ga.

CPWL, Unregistered Firearm, Unregistered Ammunition

Lonnie Zoffman, Falkville, Al.

Assaulting a Police Officer 

David Blair, Clarksburg, Md.

More arrests expected today

A Justice Department official tells NBC News that we can expect to see more arrests of individuals involved in Wednesday's riot at the Capitol.

Those arrested will be charged with federal crimes, but the person did not say specifically what charges or how many would be arrested.  

Capitol Police chief says department 'conducting a thorough review' of security procedures

Randi Richardson

Capitol Police Chief Steven A. Sund said Thursday that his department is "conducting a thorough review" of what happened during the rioting in the Capitol on Wednesday, including "security planning and policies and procedures."

Balancing public safety with the right to protest "has long been a challenge," Sund said. 

"Make no mistake, these mass riots were not First Amendment activities; they were criminal riotous behavior," he said.

"The violent attack on the U.S. Capitol was unlike any I have ever experienced in my 30 years of law enforcement here in Washington, D.C.," Sund added. He praised his officers for their "heroic" actions throughout the course of the occupation.

Sund said the Capitol Police officer who shot a woman, Ashli Babbitt, as rioters forced "their way toward the House Chamber" has been placed on administrative leave pending the conclusion of a joint investigation with the Metropolitan Police Department.

Rep. Kinzinger is first Republican to say 25th Amendment should be invoked

Rebecca Shabadis in Washington, D.C.

Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., became the first Republican to say that he believes the 25th Amendment should be invoked and that President Trump should be removed from office. 

Kinzinger said he wants Vice President Pence and members of the Cabinet to do what's necessary to ensure that the country is kept safe for the next few weeks and that the U.S. has a "sane captain of the ship."

He posted his statement in a video on Twitter.

Facebook bans Trump from platform until after inauguration

Rebecca Shabadis in Washington, D.C.

Facebook is extending its ban on President Trump's account until at least after the inauguration, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a statement on Thursday.

"The shocking events of the last 24 hours clearly demonstrate that President Donald Trump intends to use his remaining time in office to undermine the peaceful and lawful transition of power to his elected successor, Joe Biden," Zuckerberg wrote in a post on Facebook. "His decision to use his platform to condone rather than condemn the actions of his supporters at the Capitol building has rightly disturbed people in the US and around the world."

"We believe the risks of allowing the President to continue to use our service during this period are simply too great," he added. "Therefore, we are extending the block we have placed on his Facebook and Instagram accounts indefinitely and for at least the next two weeks until the peaceful transition of power is complete."

Major social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, took action after Trump released a video on Wednesday night in which he continued to claim he won the election and told supporters who stormed the Capitol that, "We love you."

D.C. police reporting 68 arrests last night

Randi Richardson

The Metropolitan Police Department reported 68 arrests from last night's attack on the Capitol. 

Possession of an illegal firearm, curfew violations and unlawful entry into Capitol grounds are among the varied arrests. Only one of the people arrested is a Washington resident. 

The full list includes:

  • Five arrests for possession of an illegal firearm (One on U.S. Capitol Grounds)
  • Two arrests for illegal possession of other weapons (metal knuckles & blackjack-like weapon)  
  • 25 arrests for curfew violations and unlawful entry on the Capitol Grounds 
  • 36 arrests for curfew violations, including:
  • 8 arrests for curfew violations on U.S. Capitol Grounds 
  • 28 arrests for curfew violations throughout the city

The department has not released the identities of the people arrested.

Barr says Trump conduct 'betrayal' of presidency

The Associated Press

Former Attorney General William Barr says President Donald Trump’s conduct as a violent mob of his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol was a “betrayal of his office and supporters.”

In a statement to The Associated Press, Barr said Thursday that “orchestrating a mob to pressure Congress is inexcusable.”

Barr was one of Trump’s most loyal and ardent defenders in the Cabinet.

His comments come a day after angry and armed protesters broke into the U.S. Capitol, forcing Congress members to halt the ongoing vote to certify President-elect Joe Biden’s election and then flee from the House and Senate chambers.

Barr resigned last month amid lingering tension over the president’s baseless claims of election fraud and the investigation into Biden’s son.

After violence at the Capitol, Trump to award Medal of Freedom to three golfers

Rebecca Shabadis in Washington, D.C.

A day after riots on Capitol Hill that were egged on by Trump, the president is spending Thursday holding an event to award the Medal of Freedom to three golfers. 

A White House official said the award is being given to Annika Sorenstam, Gary Player and Babe Didrikson Zaharias, who died in 1956. 

The White House schedule for Trump released late Wednesday only said, "President Trump will work from early in the morning until late in the evening. He will make many calls and have many meetings."

Acting DHS chief Chad Wolf calls on Trump to condemn violence at the Capitol

Rebecca Shabadis in Washington, D.C.

Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf on Thursday identified Trump's supporters as the ones perpetrating the violence at the Capitol on Wednesday and called on the president to condemn it.  

"What transpired yesterday was tragic and sickening. While I have consistently condemned political violence on both sides of the aisle, specifically violence directed at law enforcement, we now see some supporters of the president using violence as a means to achieve political ends. This is unacceptable. These violent actions are unconscionable, and I implore the president and all elected officials to strongly condemn the violence that took place yesterday," Wolf said in a statement. 

Wolf, who's currently on a weeklong trip to the Middle East, said, "Every American is guaranteed the right to peacefully protest, but once those protests become violent, we should enforce our laws and bring those responsible to justice — regardless of political motivations."

He continued, "I will remain in my position until the end of the administration to ensure the department’s focus remains on the serious threats facing our country and an orderly transition to President-elect Biden’s DHS team."

AFRICOM: 'American people expect, and need, us to stay steady'

Michigan Capitol reopens after police investigate bomb threat

The Michigan State Capitol in Lansing was temporarily closed Thursday morning for more than two hours while police said they were investigating a bomb threat.

A male caller made the threat at around 6:40 a.m., prompting Michigan State Police and its bomb squad to secure the scene, law enforcement said. By 9 a.m., officers determined the scene was safe and reopened the building to lawmakers and staff.

The Capitol was already closed to the public because no legislative sessions were scheduled for the day.

A Michigan State Police spokesman said the threat remains under investigation and "every effort will be made to identify the person who made this threat and prosecute them to the fullest extent the law will allow."

National Guard will be in D.C. through Biden's inauguration

The National Guard in Washington will be placed on a 30-day mobilization, ensuring they will be on the ground through the presidential inauguration and beyond, according to two defense officials. 

The troops will remain unarmed for the time being and wearing riot gear.

One defense official said that there will be about 200 of the troops on the streets this morning and that number may increase throughout the day. Those troops will be at traffic control check points and providing support to Capitol police, including helping them to reinforce the perimeter around the building.

Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy said by the weekend, there will be 6,200 members of the National Guard in the area with help from Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey and New York.  

'I can’t stay': Mick Mulvaney resigns as Trump's envoy to Northern Ireland

President Donald Trump’s former acting chief of staff and current special envoy to Northern Ireland Mick Mulvaney on Thursday said he has resigned from his post after pro-Trump rioters stormed the Capitol.

“I called [Secretary of State] Mike Pompeo last night to let him know I would be resigning from that. I just can’t do it. I can’t stay,” Mulvaney said in an interview with CNBC.

“It’s a nothing thing, it doesn’t affect the outcome, it doesn’t affect the transition, but it’s what I’ve got, and it’s a position I really enjoy doing, but you can’t do it,” he added.

Mulvaney said he has spoken with other friends in the administration and expected others to leave in the next day or two.

Read the story.

Bullet holes and shattered glass: Some of the damage inside the Capitol

GOP Rep. Miller invokes Hitler Tuesday at Capitol, stands by comments

Randi Richardson

Newly elected Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill., drew condemnation from fellow Republicans and others after saying Adolf Hitler "was right on one thing" during remarks at a rally outside the Capitol on Tuesday.

"If we win a few elections, we’re still going to be losing unless we win the hearts and minds of our children," Miller said. "This is the battle. Hitler was right on one thing. He said, ‘Whoever has the youth has the future.’” 

The state's GOP chairman, Tim Schneider, reacted by calling Miller's remark "wrong and disgusting" and urged her to apologize, according to NBC's Chicago affiliate WMAQ. 

Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Miller's remarks were "unfathomable and disgusting," according to WMAQ. "Hitler got nothing right. This reprehensible rhetoric has no place in our politics."

Illinois Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger, meanwhile, tweeted, "I outright condemn this garbage."

Miller responded to criticism with a tweeted statement characterizing her remarks as "a denunciation of evil dictators' efforts to re-educate young people."

Lawmakers say they plan to investigate how law enforcement handled mob storming Capitol

The Associated Press

Lawmakers are vowing an investigation into how law enforcement handled Wednesday’s violent breach at the Capitol, questioning whether a lack of preparedness allowed a mob to occupy and vandalize the building.

U.S. Capitol Police, who are charged with protecting Congress, turned to other law enforcement for help with the mob that overwhelmed the complex and sent lawmakers into hiding. Both law enforcement and Trump supporters deployed chemical irritants during the hourslong occupation of the complex before it was cleared Wednesday evening.

Four people died, one of them a woman who was shot and killed inside the Capitol. Three other people died after suffering “medical emergencies” related to the breach, said Robert Contee, chief of the city’s Metropolitan Police Department. Police said 52 people were arrested as of Wednesday night, including 26 on the Capitol grounds. Fourteen police officers were injured, Contee said.

Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., chairwoman of the House Administration Committee, said the breach “raises grave security concerns,″ adding that her committee will work with House and Senate leaders to review the police response — and its preparedness.

Read the story.

ANALYSIS: A shadow over democracy, the White House and the Republican Party

Image: Supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump protest in Washington
President Donald Trump's supporters climb on walls at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.Stephanie Keith / Reuters

WASHINGTON — Before Wednesday, there was no precedent for a president's inciting citizens to storm the Capitol. And it had been more than 150 years, dating to the Civil War, since a large group of lawmakers gave comfort to an insurrection.

But all that changed after President Donald Trump invited his die-hards to Washington, filled their heads with lies — that he had been cheated out of the election and that Vice President Mike Pence could overturn the result unilaterally — and pointed a mob of them in the direction of Congress.

What ensued was one of the ugliest days for democracy in memory.

Read the full article

'Let us in!': What happened after Trump told his supporters to swarm the Capitol

When rioters descended on the Capitol on Wednesday, they were following directions from President Donald Trump.

"We're going to have to fight much harder," Trump told supporters at a rally near the White House before the assault, adding: "We are going to walk down to the Capitol, and we're going to cheer on our brave senators, congressmen and women, and we are probably not going to be cheering so much for some of them. Because you will never take back our country with weakness."

Many in the massive crowd, soaked in the falsehoods and conspiracy theories about the election that Trump has been spewing for months, didn't even wait for the president to finish speaking. They began a march on the Capitol, where they would break through police barricades, rip through the chambers of Congress and vandalize the core symbol of the federal government.

Read the story.

Inside the Trump riots: How an ordinary Congress vote devolved into disarray

Ginger GibsonSenior Washington Editor

Image: US-POLITICS-ELECTION-TRUMP
Supporters of President Donald Trump protest inside the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.Roberto Schmidt / AFP - Getty Images

The sound started softly, cheers and chants from supporters of President Donald Trump that could be heard from inside the U.S. Capitol, not unusual when large-scale protests are staged on the grounds.

But the noise continued to grow louder, and the chants of protesters outside turned into the shouts of a mob inside, the soundtrack to the most troubling day I've witnessed on Capitol Hill.

Read the story.

Nearly 100 lawmakers call for Trump's removal through impeachment or 25th Amendment

Rebecca Shabadis in Washington, D.C.

Nearly 100 Democratic members of Congress have backed calls for or Trump's removal from office in the next several days either through the impeachment process, the 25th Amendment or another way after the violence that rocked the Capitol on Wednesday. 

The calls come as multiple sources familiar with the matter said there have been informal discussions about invoking the 25th Amendment among staff-level officials within the Trump administration.

Trump spent Wednesday inciting and praising a mob that stormed the Capitol, so much so that he has been locked out of Twitter and Facebook for at least 12 hours.

Liz Cheney says Trump incited the mob that stormed the Capitol

Rebecca Shabadis in Washington, D.C.

House Republican Conference Chairwoman Liz Cheney of Wyoming emphasized Wednesday how consequential it was for the president to refuse to concede the presidential election. 

"[T]o have for the first time in the history of the nation a president who refuses to leave office and concede after he's left — after he's lost the vote in the Electoral College, you know, is something completely unprecedented and, and very serious and can't be tolerated," she told reporters at the Capitol. 

Reacting to the events at the Capitol, Cheney said, "For the president to incite a violent mob is just something that is, you know, it's beyond sort of the politics of are you moving on or not moving on."