Republican congressman slams Donald Trump for 'banana republic c**p'
A Republican representative lashed out at President Donald Trump Wednesday for not calling off the protesters who descended on the Capitol building Wednesday, claiming it’s some ‘banana republic crap.’
Congressman Mike Gallagher posted a video to Twitter on Wednesday afternoon saying: ‘Right now I am sheltered in place in my office because we have protesters who have stormed the Capitol – clashing with Capitol Police, forcing their way into Statutory Hall. The Vice President of the United States was just rushed off the floor of the House by Secret Service.’
‘This is Banana Republic crap that we’re watching happen right now,’ The Wisconsin representative continued.
Gallagher is a retired Marine Captain who voted 93.8 per cent of the time in line with Trump during his first term and 84.2 per cent in his second.
Several other Republicans started demanding Trump to ‘call off’ the siege thousands of his supporters carried out on the Capitol and demand Americans be encouraged voice their protests in other ways.
‘This is what the president has caused today, this insurrection,’ Republican Utah Senator Mitt Romney said of the chaotic scene at the Capitol.
Republican Representative Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin released a nearly two-minute video on Wednesday while sheltering in his office demanding President Donald Trump call off the siege his supporters carried out on the Capitol
‘This is Banana Republic crap that we’re watching happen right now,’ he said, adding: ‘Mr. President, you have got to stop this. You are the only person who can call this off. Call if off. The election is over. Call it off!’
Thousands of Trump supporters descended on Capitol Hill Wednesday as Congress was in session inside moving to certify the Electoral College results, the next step in launching Joe Biden to the White House
Protesters were able to breach the Capitol and gain access inside, wandering the halls, sitting in desks and looting some offices. One woman Trump supporter was shot in the chest and is in critical condition
Gallagher said in his nearly two-minute video as he sheltered in his office on Capitol Hill that his Republican colleagues assured him objecting to the Electoral College votes would start a debate, but not result in anything bigger.
The representative said they were sorely mistaken, as is evident by the attack on the Capitol.
‘The objectors over the last few days have told me there is no problem with just having a debate. ‘We know we’re not going to succeed, so we’re just going to object. We’re going to have a debate, we’ll voice people’s concerns and then we won’t actually overturn our entire system of representative government. So nothing bad will happen. They’ll be no cost to this effort.’,’ Gallagher said.
‘This is the cost of this effort,’ he continued. ‘This is the cost of countenancing an effort by Congress to overturn the election and telling thousands of people that there is a legitimate shot of overturning the election today. Even though you know that is not true.’
Gallagher demanded: ‘We have got to stop this. Mr. President, you have got to stop this. You are the only person who can call this off. Call if off. The election is over. Call it off! This is bigger than you. It’s bigger than any member of Congress. It’s about the United States of America, which is more important than any politician. Call it off. This is over.’
About an hour after Ga
llagher’s video – and other Republicans called for an end to the assault on the Capitol – Trump released a video doing just that.
He told his supporters to ‘go home’ in a video posted to Twitter hours after he addressed and stoked the crowd gathered on the Ellipse who traveled to Washington D.C. to protest the results of the presidential election.
Republican House Leader Kevin McCarthy told Fox News before the video was released that he called Trump about the situation at the Capitol.
‘I think we need to make a statement, make sure that we can calm individuals down,’ the minority leader said he told Trump.
‘This is un-American what’s going on, and it has to stop,’ he added.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s former close adviser, who also served as George W. Bush’s special assistant, blasted Trump, claiming he should have addressed the country sooner.
‘The fact that Donald Trump hasn’t appeared on TV to condemn this mob and these terrorists – who are committing INSURRECTION – is a dereliction of his oath to preserve, protect, and defense the Constitution of the United States of America,’ Scott Jennings wrote on Twitter before the video of the president’s remarks was released.
Other Republicans bluntly blamed the president.
Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger told CNN that President Trump was a ‘coward’ and that the insurrection in the Capitol is a ‘coup.’
‘Anywhere around the globe we would call this a coup attempt,’ he said, adding that Trump should publicly concede the election to Biden to help end the divisiveness.
After Trump’s remarks to a massive crowd of his most staunch supporters, a large section broke off to parch to the Capitol and storm the steps.
Hundreds were able to get inside the building, interrupting Congress certifying the election for Joe Biden.
Trump released a video later in the day urging his supporters to ‘go home’ – after first addressing them on the Ellipse earlier in the day, stoking claims of a ‘stolen’ election
Vice President Mike Pence was evacuated from the Senate chamber shortly after 2 p.m., along with Republican Senator Chuck Grassley, the president pro temp who is in the line of succession for the presidency.
Protesters could be heard banging on the doors as senators attempted to continue their debate on the electoral college count. One protester waved the Confederate flag as they tried to get inside.
An officer with an orange POLICE badge across his chest appeared on the floor with what appeared to be a semi-automatic weapon, standing between Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, the top party leaders.
Shortly after 2:30 p.m., the entire chamber was evacuated before the breach occurred. As they rushed away, Senate parliamentary staff grabbed hold of the boxes containing the electoral college certificates and took them with them.
