TOPLINE Along with shutting down the proceedings of the U.S. Congress and forcing lawmakers to flee to safety during an important vote on the presidential election, the pro-Trump mob that stormed through the Capitol on Wednesday stole equipment, ripped down signs, and damaged property—brazen actions they could be prosecuted for, many of which were caught on camera.
KEY FACTS
In a photo snapped by Getty Images, an unidentified vandal wearing a “Trump” ski cap appeared to steal House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) podium, all while smiling and waving at the camera.
Trump supporters took over Pelosi’s office, upending tables, ripping down pictures, and removing a sign posted by the entrance to be used as a “trophy,” according to the New York Times.
Richard Barnett, 60, from Gravette, Arkansas, posed for the New York Times with a note stolen from Pelosi’s office, saying he didn’t steal it because he “left a quarter” on Pelosi’s desk.
As they attempted to break inside the Capitol, crowds of Trump supporters shattered windows all across the Capitol in footage caught on tape.
Outside the Capitol, a group of Associated Press reporters were chased from their camera equipment by rioters, prompting a crowd to then destroy it.
Forbes has reached out to Pelosi’s office and the Capitol police about the extent of the damage.
NOT SO BIG NUMBER
13. That’s how many people have been arrested as of 5:30 p.m. EST, according to D.C. police.
TANGENT
A photo of Barnett sitting in Pelosi’s office went viral on Wednesday.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser did not say whether rioters would be arrested if they stayed out past the mandated 6 p.m. EST curfew on Wednesday in an interview with CNN. At the Capitol, trespassers have been told they must leave by 6 p.m. or be arrested, according to Politico.
CRUCIAL QUOTE
“Electoral College ballots rescued from the Senate floor,” Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) said on Twitter. “If our capable floor staff hadn’t grabbed them, they would have been burned by the mob.”
by Jack Brewster, Forbes Staff