CONTINUING TO MONITOR THAT THIS MORNING.
MORNING.
MORNING. NOW ONE PERSON WHO WAS THERE AS
IT WAS HAPPENING.
>>
>>
>> CONNECTICUT CONGRESSMAN JIM
HIMES.
HIMES.
HIMES. HE'S JOINING US OVER SKYPE
RIGHT NOW.
RIGHT NOW. MR. HIMES, THANK YOU SO MORNING
SO MUCH FOR JOINING US THIS
MORNING.
MORNING.
MORNING. LET'S JUST START WITH YOUR
FEELINGS THAT VISCERAL FEELING
AS IT WAS HAPPENING AT ANY
POINT DID YOU FEEL LIKE YOUR
LIFE WAS IN DANGER OR DID YOU
FEEL LIKE THIS WAS GOING TO GET
BROUGHT UNDER CONTROL AT SOME
POINT?
POINT?
POINT? YEAH, IT'S A IT'S I CAN'T SAY I
FEEL LIKE MY LIFE WAS IN DANGER
BUT THERE WERE AT LEAST 15
VERY, VERY ANXIOUS MOMENTS.
YOU KNOW, AS WE RE BEING
TAKEN OUT OF THE HOUSE CHAMBER
AND I WAS ACTUALLY WITH
CONNECTICUT CONGRESSWOMAN ROSA
DELAURO AT THE TIME.
YOU KNOW, OFFICERS HAD THEIR
WEAPONS DRAWN.
WEAPONS DRAWN. THERE HAD BEEN A CONCUSSION
WHICH I THINK MIGHT HAVE BEEN
THE TRAGIC SHOOTING OF THE ONE
WOMAN WHO LOST HER LIFE AT
THE CAPITOL YESTERDAY.
AND THE POLICE HAD PILED
FURNITURE OF ALL THINGS AGAINST
A DOOR THE MAIN DOOR OF
THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
YOU COULD HEAR PEOPLE USING
SOME SORT OF DEVICE TO TRY TO
BATTER THEIR WAY IN AND THESE
OFFICERS HAD THEIR GUNS DRAWN
AND POINTED.
AND POINTED. SO IN THAT MOMENT, YES, THERE
WAS THERE WAS ANXIETY.
THERE WAS ALSO A GREAT DEAL I
JUST VISCERALLY AS THE RIGHT
WORD I JUST FELT VERY, VERY SAD
FOR OUR COUNTRY.
I NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS
IMAGINED THAT THIS BUILDING
THAT I'VE BEEN GOING INTO FOR
YEARS RIGHT NOW THAT SYMBOLIZES
OUR DEMOCRACY MSU IT MIGHT BE
MIGHT BE ATTACKED BY AN
INSURRECTION AS MOB AND NEVER
IN MY LIFE DID I IMAGINE THAT
INSURRECTION THIS MOB WOULD BE
DRIVEN BY THE PRESIDENT OF
THE UNITED STATES.
A LOT OF YOU AND YOUR
COLLEAGUES LIVE TWEETING AS
THIS WAS HAPPENING YESTERDAY.
>>
>>
>> WE'RE
>> WE'RE HEARING A LOT OF YOU
SAYING I'M OK.
BUT HERE'S WHAT'S HAPPENING.
TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS IN
THOSE MOMENTS.
THOSE MOMENTS. >>
>>
>> WELL,
>> WELL, AGAIN, IT WAS IT WAS
PRETTY QUICK AND DEVELOPING.
WE WERE ALL JUST STARTING TO
GET COMFORTABLE AND RELIEVED AT
THE NOTION THAT THE VISE
PRESIDENT MICHAEL PENCE WAS
GOING TO PERFORM HIS
CONSTITUTIONAL DUTIES.
CONSTITUTIONAL DUTIES. THERE WAS SOME CONCERN GOING
INTO THIS THAT HE MIGHT
ACTUALLY DO WHAT THE PRESIDENT
ASKED HIM TO DO, WHICH WAS TO
OVERRIDE THE CONGRESS OR
WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE CHANGE
THE OUTCOME OF THE ELECTION.
BUT MIKE PENCE DEMONSTRATED
THAT HIS LOYALTY AT THAT MOMENT
WAS GOING TO BE TO
THE CONSTITUTION AND NOT TO NOT
TO DONALD J.
TRUMP.
TRUMP.
TRUMP. SO
TRUMP. SO JUST AS WE WERE GETTING
RELIEVED BY THAT.
IT QUICKLY BECAME APPARENT THAT
THE CAPITOL WAS UNDER ATTACK.
AND AS I SAID, IT WAS JUST SORT
OF INCONCEIVABLE.
OF INCONCEIVABLE. I MEAN MOST OF US DIDN'T EVEN
KNOW THAT THERE WERE GAS MASKS
UNDER OUR SEATS WHEN WE WERE
ORDERED TO TAKE THOSE GAS MASKS
OUT AND PUT THEM ON.
SO IT WAS IT IT WAS A PRETTY
SHOCKING HALF HOUR.
>>
>>
>> CONGRESSMAN, WITH WHOM WERE YOU
SHELTERED AND WHAT WERE THOSE
HOURS LIKE?
HOURS LIKE? OBVIOUSLY THIS TOOK A LONG TIME
TO PLAY OUT.
WAS THERE ANY TALK?
WAS THERE ANY SORT OF
BIPARTISAN TALK ABOUT HOW THIS
CHANGES THE CALCULUS OR HOW TO
RESPOND TO THIS?
>>
>>
>> WELL,
>> WELL, THERE WASN'T YESTERDAY.
AND JUST TO SPECIFICALLY.
AGAIN, THERE WERE PROBABLY 100
MEMBERS IN THE CHAMBER AT
THE TIME AND THEY VERY QUICKLY
ESCORTED US OUT AND WE WENT
THROUGH SOME STAIRCASES AND
TUNNELS AND SHELTERED IN A VERY
BIG CONFERENCE ROOM TOGETHER.
THERE WERE ABOUT 100 MEMBERS
TOGETHER, PROBABLY 75 STAFF
MEMBERS.
MEMBERS.
MEMBERS. THAT MOMENT WAS STILL QUITE
NERVOUS.
NERVOUS.
NERVOUS. YOU KNOW, THE CAPITOL POLICE
HAD LOST CONTROL OF THE ENTIRE
CAPITOL AND OF THE BUILDINGS
THAT SURROUND IT.
SO IT WAS A VERY TENSE MOMENT
WITH THIS, YOU KNOW, ROUGHLY
200 PEOPLE TOGETHER IN THIS
VERY LARGE ROOM.
THE POLICE WERE STILL VERY,
VERY ANXIOUS, VERY NERVOUS AND
NO, THERE WASN'T A LOT OF THAT
CONVERSATION.
CONVERSATION. THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE OF THAT
CONVERSATION.
CONVERSATION. I WAS INCREDIBLY DISHEARTENING
TOO THOUGH IT WAS NICE TO MAKE
TO GO BACK PRETTY QUICKLY TO
GET OUR JOB DONE TO JUST RIGHT
OUT OF THE BOX HERE.
MY REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES STAND
ON THE FLOOR DESPITE WHAT THEY
HAD JUST BEEN THROUGH.
REPEAT THE MISINFORMATION,
THE LIES THAT THE PRESIDENT
UNITED STATES HAS PEDALING FOR
THE LAST TWO MONTHS.
THAT WAS THAT THAT ACTUALLY
BROKE MY HEART.
YOU KNOW, YOU WOULD HAVE
THOUGHT THAT MAYBE AFTER IT WAS
SHOWN THAT MAYBE OUR GOVERNMENT
WAS VULNERABLE TO THAT LIE,
THOSE LIES NOT MISINFORMATION
THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE SAID, HEY,
LET'S TAKE A STEP BACK.
BY THE WAY, THEY DID IN
THE SENATE.
THE SENATE. RIGHT.
RIGHT.
RIGHT. THE SENATE BASICALLY SAID WE'RE
NOT DOING THIS ANYMORE.
BUT TOO MANY OF MY REPUBLICAN
HOUSE COLLEAGUES JUST, YOU
KNOW, ARE SO CULT LIKE FOCUSED
ON WHAT DONALD TRUMP TELLS THEM
THAT WE WENT BACK AND SPENT
ANOTHER WHAT WAS IT FOUR HOURS
OR SO ARGUING ABOUT WHETHER
THIS ELECTION HAD BEEN
LEGITIMATE.
LEGITIMATE. >>
>>
>> WE'RE
>> WE'RE GETTING A LOT OF ANGRY
E-MAILS THIS MORNING.
CONGRESSMAN, A LOT OF PEOPLE
SAYING THE PRESIDENT NEVER
EXPLICITLY TOLD PEOPLE TO GO
ATTACK THE CAPITOL BUILDING AND
THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THIS
RHETORIC LED TO WHAT IT DID.
WE'RE GETTING SOME PEOPLE I
HAVE A GARY WROTE IN SAYING
HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN MAXINE
WATERS TELLING THE LEFT TO
QUOTE GET IN THE FACES OF
THE REPUBLICANS?
THE REPUBLICANS? WHEN SARAH HUCKABEE AND MITCH
MCCONNELL WERE ACCOSTED IN
RESTAURANTS, WHERE WAS THEIR
DEMOCRA?
DEMOCRA?
DEMOCRA? WHAT DO YOU TELL THESE PEOPLE
WHO ARE NOT MAKING ANY SORT OF
CONNECTION BETWEEN THE TWO AND
THINK THEY SHOULDN'T BE MAKING
A CONNECTION BETWEEN
THE PRESIDENT'S RHETORIC AND
THE VIOLENCE?
THE VIOLENCE? WELL, THAT'S NOT A DEBATABLE
POINT.
POINT.
POINT. >>
>>
>> THE
>> THE PRESIDENT SAID MARCH TO
THE CAPITAL.
THE CAPITAL. IT'S GOING TO BE WILD.
HE STOKED THEM ON HIS PERSONAL
LAWYER SAID WE SHOULD RESOLVE
THIS THROUGH COMBAT OVER AND
OVER AGAIN.
OVER AGAIN. THIS IS NOT A DEBATABLE POINT.
LOOK AT I'VE BEEN AN ELECTED
OFFICIAL IN THE ERA OF TRUMP
FOR FOUR YEARS NOW.
SO I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S A
SIGNIFICANT CHUNK OF PEOPLE OUT
THERE FOR WHOM WHAT IS EVIDENT
TO THEIR OWN EYES DOESN'T
MATTER.
MATTER.
MATTER. WHAT MATTERS IS WHAT DONALD
TRUMP TELLS THEM OR WHAT.
AND OR WHAT FOX NEWS TELLS.
THAT'S ALL THAT MATTERS.
NOW LOOK AND THEN LET ME BE
FAIR HERE.
FAIR HERE. THIS IS NOT THOUGH TODAY.
IT IS SOMEWHAT UNIQUE TO
THE SUPPORTERS DONALD TRUMP.
THIS IS NOT UNKNOWN IN MY OWN
PARTY.
PARTY.
PARTY. BUT THERE'S NO QUESTION THAT
DONALD TRUMP FOMENTED THIS
INSURRECTION.
INSURRECTION. MITCH MCCONNELL HIMSELF HAS
SAID REPUBLICANS LIKE MITT
ROMNEY AND OTHERS RECOGNIZE IT.
LINDSEY GRAHAM RECOGNIZES SO
DON'T LISTEN TO THIS DEMOCRAT.
LISTEN TO PEOPLE LIKE THAT.
IF YOU CAN'T STAND TO HEAR IT
FROM ME, THAT'S NOT IN
QUESTION.
QUESTION.
QUESTION. THE QUESTION OF WHAT ABOUT IS
IS JUST ABSURD TO SAY THAT.
BUT BECAUSE MAXINE WATERS SAID
SOMETHING INTEMPERATE THAT DOES
SOMEHOW EQUATE IT TO A MOB
TAKING OVER THE CONGRESS
THE UNITED STATES IS ABSURD.
AND BY THE WAY, LET'S HOLD
OURSELVES TO A SLIGHTLY
DIFFERENT STANDARD IN THIS
COUNTRY, THS COUNTRY THAT WE
CALL A CITY UPON A HILL.
LET'S HOLD OURSELVES TO A
SLIGHTLY HIGHER STANDARD THAN
THEY DID IT TOO.
YOU KNOW, I'M THE FATHER OF TWO
DAUGHTERS AND WHEN THEY WERE
YOUNG AND THEY SAID WELL SHE
DID IT TOO.
THAT WASN'T AN EXCUSE.
I MEAN HOW IN THIS COUNTRY CAN
WE SAY WE