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West Virginia state lawmaker recorded video of himself and fellow President Donald Trump supporters storm the US Capitol Wednesday, triggering calls for his resignation. In the video of Republican Delegate Derrick Evans, later deleted from his social media page, he is shown wearing a helmet and shouting at the door to violate the building after Congress gathered for an expected vote to affirm victory election campaign of Democrat Joe Biden.
“We’re here! Keep moving, baby!” he said in a full door amid Trump supporters holding flags and complaining about being sprayed with pepper. Once inside, Evans could be seen in a video circling the Capitol Rotunda, where historic paintings depict the founding of the republic and shout “no vandalism”.
Lawmakers from other states also visited the nation’s capital to protest the electoral college results on Wednesday. It is not known if another elected official broke into the United States Capitol. Pennsylvania State Senator Doug Mastriano helped organize a bus ride to protest in Washington, DC, and said he left the Capitol area after the eruption of violence, which he qualified as “unacceptable”. A Democratic colleague nevertheless asked for his resignation.
In West Virginia, Democratic Party leaders said Evans should resign and “be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” About 10,000 people have signed an online petition calling for his resignation, a month after being sworn in for a first term.
State House of Delegates Speaker Roger Hanshaw said Evans will have to “respond to his constituents and colleagues regarding his involvement in what happened today”.
“While free speech and peaceful protest are a core value of American society, storming government buildings and participating in a violent and intentional disruption of one of our country’s most fundamental political institutions is a crime which should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, “Hanshaw said, according to CBS affiliate WOWK-TV.
House spokesman Jared Hunt told The Associated Press that Hanshaw “is always collecting as much information as possible about what happened and will assess any potential consequences once the totality of the situation will be understood ”. Hanshaw had said in his statement that he had not yet spoken to Evans.
“While free speech and peaceful protest are a core value of American society, storming government buildings and participating in a violent and intentional disruption of one of our country’s most fundamental political institutions is a crime which should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, “Hanshaw said.
West Virginia Democratic Minority Leader Doug Skaff has called on Hanshaw to suspend Evans’ access to State House and open an investigation. “Delegate Derrick Evans was not only a part of this violent and intentional disruption of government; he helped lead a group he organized to travel to Washington, DC, to cause this chaos,” he said. in a press release.
Perry Bennett / West Virginia Legislature via AP
Evans was elected in November to represent Wayne County. On Tuesday night, he posted a photo to Facebook of a bus full of people without masks, writing that two full buses from West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio were heading to DC.
On Wednesday evening, he said in a social media statement that he was returning to West Virginia and “was just there as an independent member of the media to film the story.” The video shows him chanting Trump’s name before entering the Capitol building. He did not respond to an email requesting comment.
Evans was among thousands of Trump supporters, their anger at baseless allegations of fraud in the presidential race leading to a crowd occupying the Capitol building, interrupting the expected vote to certify Biden’s victory.
West Virginia Democratic Senator Joe Manchin called it an insurgency. “These thugs cannot and do not want to drive us away,” he said in a statement.
Republican Senator Shelley Moore Capito also lamented the protest. “It’s the United States of America,” she said in a statement. “We don’t do that. It’s not who we are.”
Alaska Republican Representative David Eastman said he traveled to Washington, DC to watch Trump speak, but told The Anchorage Daily News that the storming of the building was “pretty terrible”.
Tennessee State Representative Terri Lynn Weaver said Wednesday night it was an “epic and historic day.” She told the Tennessean that she was “in the thick of it” but hadn’t seen any violence.
Hundreds of people gathered in state capitals across the country to oppose Biden’s victory in mostly peaceful rallies. But New Mexico police evacuated the state building as a precaution, and scuffles broke out in Ohio and California. Some protesters carried guns in a handful of states.
In a video posted to Twitter during the occupation of Capitol Hill, Mr. Trump urged his “very special” supporters to return home, but also repeatedly and baselessly claimed that the election was stolen.
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