Protesters storm Capitol, Pelosi asks National Guard to clear building amid reports of shots fired - live updates

Ledyard King, Maureen Groppe and Nicholas Wu, USA TODAY 17 mins ago

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Protesters storm Capitol, Pelosi asks National Guard to clear building amid reports of shots fired - live updates

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., asked for the National Guard to clear and secure the Capitol, according to a person familiar with the situation not authorized to speak on the record.

© Manuel Balce Ceneta, AP Protesters gesture to U.S. Capitol Police in the hallway outside of the Senate chamber at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, near the Ohio Clock.

The decision to ask for the National Guard to intervene comes as protesters breached the Capitol during Wednesday's counting of electoral votes. Police barricaded the doors of the House chamber and had their guns drawn, and there were reports of shots fired inside the buliding.

Requests for additional assistance from the Washington, D.C. National Guard are being considered, according to a Defense official who was not authorized to speak publicly. The DC National Guard is under control of the Army Secretary. Defense officials are monitoring the security situation at the Capitol but do not expect to receive requests for active-duty troops, the official said. Police are better able than Guard soldiers to deal with the protesters who have stormed inside the Capitol building and have gathered on the steps outside, the official said.

—Christal Hayes, Nicholas Wu and Tom Vanden Brook

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Slide 1 of 12: A protester is seen hanging from the balcony in the Senate Chamber on January 06, 2021 in Washington, DC. Congress held a joint session today to ratify President-elect Joe Biden's 306-232 Electoral College win over President Donald Trump. Pro-Trump protesters have entered the U.S. Capitol building after mass demonstrations in the nation's capital.

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1/12 SLIDES © Win McNamee, Getty Images

A protester is seen hanging from the balcony in the Senate Chamber on January 06, 2021 in Washington, DC. Congress held a joint session today to ratify President-elect Joe Biden's 306-232 Electoral College win over President Donald Trump. Pro-Trump protesters have entered the U.S. Capitol building after mass demonstrations in the nation's capital.

Pence taken to secure location

The House and Senate recessed from their session to count state-certified Electoral College votes as protesters breached the Capitol and the building locked down. Vice President Mike Pence has been taken to an undisclosed, secure location, according to a source familiar with the situation but not authorized to speak publicly.

A notice from Capitol Police sent to all Capitol staff warned them of an "internal security threat" and told them to shelter in their offices and stay away from windows. Lawmakers posted messages urging protesters to be peaceful, and reporters inside the Capitol shared videos of protesters wandering the halls of the Capitol looking for lawmakers to confront about the electoral votes.

In the House chamber, Capitol Police told lawmakers from the rostrum the chamber was in lockdown because the building was breached. Members were been urged not to leave, and top leaders were escorted out.

The Senate recessed as Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., was about to speak on an objection to Arizona's electoral votes. Before he could begin, an aide walked up to the senator and told him "protesters are in the building."

—Nicholas Wu and Kevin Johnson

McConnell blasts electoral vote objections, warns of 'death spiral' for democracy

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., delivered a stern warning to his congressional colleagues against attempting to overturn the 2020 election, saying democracy would enter a "death spiral" if Congress were to reject the counting of electoral votes.

“Nothing before us proves illegality anywhere near the massive scale that would have tipped the entire election," he said, referring to President Donald Trump's unfounded claims of widespread voter fraud. McConnell said Trump had spread "sweeping conspiracy theories" about the election.

Referring to some Republicans' stated support for objections as an act of protest, McConnell said he would not "pretend such a vote will be a harmless protest gesture while relying on others to do the right thing."

"I will vote to respect the people's decision and defend our system of government as we know it," he said.