ENERGIZE HIS SUPPORTERS.
LESSER?
LESTER?
>> LET ME BRING IN PETE
WILLIAMS, IT COULD GO LATE INTO
THE NIGHT AS YOU NOTED THE
CONCLUSION IS A FOREGONE ONE.
IS THERE ANYTHING BETWEEN NOW
AND THE 20th THAT THEY COULD USE
TO TRY AND CONTINUE TO DERAIL
THINGS?
>> Reporter: THE ANSWER TO THAT
IS NO.
THERE ARE SOME LAWSUITS OUT
THERE PENDING, BELIEVE IT OR
NOT, BUT IT’S JUST TOO LATE.
IT’S TOO LATE TO CHALLENGE THE
PROCESS.
IT WAS VERY LATE AFTER THE
ELECTORAL VOTE IN DECEMBER.
ONCE THEY COUNT THE VOTE, IT’S
REALLY GAME OVER.
THERE ARE A LOT OF QUESTIONS
ABOUT HOW THIS ELECTION WAS
CONDUCTED IN THE MIDST OF A
PANDEMIC IT WILL LEAD TO
DISCUSSIONS IN STATES ACROSS THE
COUNTRY ABOUT HOW POSSIBLY TO
CHANGE PROCEDURES.
HOW TO DISTRIBUTE MAIL-IN
BALLOTS, WHAT KIND OF
DOCUMENTATION HAS TO COME WITH
THEM.
CAN STATE OFFICIALS DO THAT
WITHOUT PERMISSION FROM THE
STATE LEGISLATURE, ALL OF THAT.
THERE WAS AN INTEREST IN GETTING
CONGRESS TO CHANGE THE LAW,
ABOUT THIS WHOLE PROCESS HOW YOU
COUNT ELECTORAL VOTES.
THERE WILL BE REAL MOMENTUM FOR
THAT.
ONE OTHER THING I WOULD SAY,
LESTER, AS WE TRY TO FIGURE
OUT -- WELL, IT LOOKS NOW LIKE
THE CAPITOL POLICE --
>> PETE, LET ME BREAK AWAY FROM
YOU FOR A SECOND BECAUSE THINGS
ARE HAPPENING VERY QUICKLY
THERE.
IT APPEARS TO BE THE EAST SIDE
OF THE CAPITOL, PEOPLE ARE NOW
PAST THE POLICE AND INTO THE
BUILDING.
>> Reporter: WE SAW CAPITOL POLICE TRYING TO PUSH PEOPLE
POLICE TRYING TO PUSH PEOPLE
BACK, HOLD THEM BACK.
THEY ARE NO LONGER ABLE TO KEEP
THEM BACK.
YOU SEE PROTESTERS WAVING FOR
MORE.
IF YOU LOOK RIGHT NEXT TO ME
THERE IS A MASSIVE AMOUNT OF
WHAT APPEARS TO BE BLOOD ON THE
GROUND HERE.
AT LEAST ONE PERSON OVER HERE IS
BEING INJURED AND TAKEN AWAY ON
A STRETCHER RIGHT NOW.
AS MORE AND MORE PEOPLE MAKE
THEIR WAY TOWARDS THE STEP AND
PUSH THROUGH, AS I WAS WATCHING
THIS SAYING IT LOOKS LIKE PEOPLE
ARE BEING ARRESTED.
ONE WOMAN SAID THIS IS WHAT
HAPPENS WHEN THEY BELIEVE THAT
THERE HAVE BEEN, WHAT THEY
BELIEVE, FRAUD IN THE ELECTION,
AND THESE ARE PEOPLE STANDING UP
FOR AMERICA.
BUT YOU CAN SEE A LOT OF PEOPLE
PACKED ON THE STEPS NOW.
THEY HAVE PUSHED BACK THE
BARRICADE, THE PHYSICAL
BARRICADE THAT WAS INITIALLY
DOWN HERE.
THE BICYCLE RACK.
THEN THE BARRICADE OF CAPITOL
POLICE OFFICERS HOLDING THEM
BACK AND THEY HAVE MADE THEIR
WAY UP THE U.S. CAPITOL STEPS.
WE HAVE SEEN PEOPLE BE DETAINED,
SEEMINGLY ARRESTED, PUT IN
HANDCUFFS, AND WE HAVE SEEN AT
LEAST ONE PERSON WHO APPEARS TO
HAVE FAIRLY SERIOUS INJURIES
ENOUGH TO BE TAKEN AWAY AND
BLOOD LEFT ON THE GROUND WHERE
PEOPLE HAVE PUSHED PAST THE
BARRICADE.
YOU CAN HEAR THEM GETTING LOUDER
AND CHEERING AS MORE PEOPLE MAKE
THEIR WAY TO THE AREA.
SOME SORT OF LOUD EXPLOSION TYPE
BANG NOISE RIGHT NOW AS SOME
PEOPLE ARE STARTING TO MOVE.
IT’S HARD TO SEE WHAT IT
HAPPENING BEYOND WHAT’S RIGHT IN
THIS AREA.
CAPITOL POLICE HAVE GONE TO THE
OTHER STEPS TO KEEP THOSE
SECURE, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE
THEY’VE LOST THE MAJORITY OF THE
CONTROL OF THESE STEPS DOWN HERE
IN THE MIDDLE AS MORE AND MORE
PROTESTERS MAKE THEIR WAY
TOWARDS THIS AREA.
THEY ARE COMING FROM BOTH SIDES
OF THE CAPITOL AT THIS POINT
FILLING IN THIS AREA HERE.
LESTER.
>> THIS IS A DISTURBING SCENE TO
SAY THE LEAST.
IT APPEARED POLICE ESSENTIALLY
RETREATED AND CLOSED THE DOORS,
PREVENTING ANYONE ELSE FROM
ENTERING.
WE DID SEE WHAT APPEARED TO BE
PROTESTERS ENTERING THE
BUILDING.
THIS FOLLOWING A DAY OF LARGELY
PEACEFUL PROTESTS IN WASHINGTON
AND THE PRESIDENT’S SUPPORTERS.
THE PRESIDENT ADDRESSED THOSE
SUPPORTERS A COUPLE OF HOURS
AGO.
AND CONTINUED TO CLAIM MANY OF
THE BOGUS CLAIMS ABOUT THE
LEGITIMACY OF THE ELECTION.
CLEARLY THESE ARE FOLKS WHO
BELIEVE HIM AND WHO ARE NOW
TAKEN THE EXTRAORDINARY STEP OF
NOW SETTING SIEGE TO AT LEAST
PART OF THE CAPITOL.
KASIE HUNT, YOU ARE RIGHT ACROSS
THE STREET FROM THIS IN ONE OF
THE SENATE OFFICE BUILDINGS.
WE KNOW SOME OF THE OFFICE
BUILDINGS WERE EVACUATED.
IS THIS ALL RELATED?
>> Reporter: IT SEEMS SO,
LESTER.
WE’RE STILL TRYING TO DETERMINE
WHAT THE CAUSE WAS TO HAVE
PEOPLE ACTUALLY RELOCATE FROM
THE CANNON COMPLEX.
EVACUATION MAY BE THE WRONG WORD
TO EXPLAIN WHAT WE NOW KNOW WHAT
HAPPENED IN THE OFFICE BUILDING.
THEY’VE GATHERED STAFF INSIDE
THE COMPLEX.
THE CALCULATION SEEMS TO BE IT
IS SAFER TO REMAIN INSIDE THE
COMPLEX THAN TO SEND PEOPLE OUT
INTO WHAT EVERYONE IS LOOKING AT
RIGHT NOW ON THE SCREEN.
BUT, AGAIN, WE HAVE NOT GOTTEN
ANY REPORTS OR INDICATION INSIDE
ONE OF THE BUILDINGS THAT AT
THIS POINT WOULD CAUSE US TO BE
ALARMED ABOUT THAT.
SO WE’RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO
KEEP AN EYE ON THIS.
NOW THIS SCENE WE’RE WATCHING
HERE -- SO THIS IS THE WEST
FRONT -- I’M SORRY, THE EAST
FRONT OF THE CAPITOL.
THAT DOOR SOME OF THE VIEWERS
MAY RECOGNIZE IF YOU WATCHED A
STATE FUNERAL, WHEN JOHN
McCAIN’S CASKET OR GEORGE H.W.
BUSH’S CASKET WAS AT THE U.S.
CAPITOL BUILDING, IT COMES OUT
THAT DOOR.
IT’S CARRIED DOWN THOSE STEPS.
IT’S AN EXTRAORDINARILY
CEREMONIAL DOOR.
SO FAR AS WE CAN SEE THERE’S NO
INDICATION IT’S BEEN BREACHED,
AND I WOULD SAY IT WOULD BE AN
UNBELIEVABLY SIGNIFICANT THING
FOR THAT TO HAPPEN.
I WANT TO SET THAT ASIDE FOR A
SECOND BECAUSE JUST THE SCENE OF
ALL THESE PEOPLE HERE IS ALSO
REMARKABLE.
THIS IS AN AREA THAT IS ALWAYS
CONTROLLED BY THE CAPITOL
POLICE.
IN FACT, IN RECENT MONTHS IT’S
BEEN HARD, TOO, IF YOU’RE A
MEMBER OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC,
EVEN WALK ALONG THE DRIVEWAY
THAT’S IN FRONT OF THE CAPITOL
STEPS.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE A CAPITOL I.D.
I WALK TO WORK THROUGH THE SIDE
DOOR EVERY DAY FOR THE LAST 10
OR 15 YEARS, AND I’VE NEVER SEEN
ANYTHING LIKE THIS.
AGAIN, IT’S AN AREA THAT MEMBERS
OF CONGRESS WILL PULL UP IN
THEIR CARS TO GO IN AND OUT OF
THE BUILDINGS ON THE SENATE AND
THE HOUSE SIDE.
THESE STEPS ARE RIGHT IN THE
MIDDLE OF THE BUILDING.
SO THAT’S THE DOME, THE ROTUNDA,
THE MIDDLE OF THE CAPITOL.
ON ONE SIDE IS THE SENATE
CHAMBER.
THE OTHER SIDE THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES.
OF COURSE OUR ENTIRE GOVERNMENT
NOW GATHERED HERE IN THIS
BUILDING, THE SENATE DEBATING ON
ONE SIDE, THE HOUSE DEBATING ON
THE OTHER, TO TRY AND DEAL WITH
THESE OBJECTIONS TO THE COUNTING
OF THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE.
I THINK IT’S IMPORTANT TO
UNDERSCORE, LESTER, THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
HAS ENCOURAGED PEOPLE TO DO
THIS.
THEY ARE HERE AT HIS URGING.
HE HELD A RALLY AT THE ELLIPSE
JUST DOWN THE STREET AND THERE
ARE, OF COURSE, MEMBERS --
REPUBLICAN MEMBERS -- OF THE
HOUSE AND THE SENATE -- WHO ARE
SAYING THIS ELECTION SHOULD BE
OVERTURNED, THAT THERE SHOULD BE
AND ARE DOUBTS ABOUT THE
VALIDITY OF IT AND THAT IS PART
OF WHY, LARGELY WHY, ALL OF
THESE PEOPLE HAVE COME TO
WASHINGTON AND ARE ENGAGED IN A
SPECTACLE THAT I DON’T THINK
WE’VE SEEN IN MODERN TIMES AND
CERTAINLY ONE THAT IS
NERVE-RACKING FOR THOSE WHO
TYPICALLY FIND SECURITY INSIDE
THIS BUILDING.
A TRULY REMARKABLE SPLIT SCREEN
MOMENT, LESTER.
>> I CERTAINLY FEEL THE LOSS OF
WORDS TO DESCRIBE WHAT WE’RE
SEEING AND HOW THIS WILL
RESONATE.
I WANT TO NOTE THAT KEVIN
McCARTHY, HOUSE GOP LEADER, HAS
ASKED FOR PROTESTERS TO REMAIN
PEACEFUL, WRITING ON TWITTER, THANK YOU TO CAPITOL POLICE FOR
THANK YOU TO CAPITOL POLICE FOR
PROTECTING THE PEOPLE’S HOUSE.
I URGE THEM TO REMAIN PEACEFUL.
THE CROWD HAS, AGAIN,
ESSENTIALLY FORCED THE POLICE
OFFICERS THERE ON THE EAST FRONT