Vice President Mike Pence condemned the “Stop the Steal” protesters-turned-mob that stormed the Capitol building amid the House and the Senate debating an objection to counting Electoral College votes from the state of Arizona.
“The violence and destruction taking place at the US Capitol Must Stop and it Must Stop Now. Anyone involved must respect Law Enforcement officers and immediately leave the building,” Pence said. “Peaceful protest is the right of every American but this attack on our Capitol will not be tolerated and those involved will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
President Trump had for days falsely insisted that Pence, who presided over the joint session of Congress that convened to count Electoral College votes, had the authority to reject certain states‘ Electoral College votes unilaterally and overturn the results of the presidential election in favor of Trump rather than Biden.
Pence defied Trump in a statement released just before the joint
