The official electoral vote count at the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. this afternoon was halted after a mob of pro-Trump protestors and extremists invaded the building in the hope of disrupting the U.S. government and hijacking the democratic process that elected Joe Biden president. 

The following is a statement on today's events from Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley:

“It is a sad and dark day for our country when more than 100 House members, a dozen Senators and the President of the United States incite domestic terrorism and attempt to delay or disrupt the peaceful transfer of power of the presidency. 

“For weeks, the President has made false claims disputing the outcome of the election and encouraging the conspiracy theories of fringe, violent, Trump extremists who vowed to challenge the result of the November elections. The dangerous and violent scenes that continue to play out in our nation’s capital could have been prevented, instead they were enabled by the very people who took an oath to defend the United States against all enemies, both foreign and domestic.  

“Today’s events are a humiliating day for this country, but it was weeks in the making as the President encouraged the overturn of a democratic election. This is nothing short of an attack on American Democracy and the rule of law, an attack that must be brought to an end immediately. Congress must be allowed to complete a peaceful transfer of power and get back to the working on behalf of the American people.”

Common Council President Cavalier Johnson also released the following statement on today's unprecedented events in Washington D.C.:

"If anyone needs to see the double standard in America surrounding white privilege and race, just look at the scores of protesters who broke in the United States Capitol and stoppe the certification of a duly elected president based on lies fed to them by Donald Trump and his enablers in Congress.

"The President has dangerously morphed the Republican Party, fractured the sense of reality of many citizens, and threatened the fabric of America. If these people were Black or any other minority group and at the Capitol for any other reason, the President would have called them dangerous and lawless thugs who deserve to be roughed up by law enforcement.

"This isn't democracy – this is a vanity coup attempt all to stroke the ego of one man who should have never been entrusted with the most powerful position in America, and the world, because he showed us who he was on the day that he came down that escalator – and years before that even.

"Democracy can be fragile. The people who broke into 'The People's House' are putting that on display."

Gov. Tony Evers additionally released the following statement during the afternoon's siege:

“As are so many Wisconsinites and Americans, I am watching these horrifying events unfold in Washington, D.C. in disbelief. The peaceful transfer of power is at the very heart of our government and our country. This is an attack on our democracy. Period.

“There must be swift, bipartisan condemnation in no uncertain terms – by the president, by elected officials who’ve sought to sow division and distrust in our election, by elected officials who’ve failed to unequivocally denounce these efforts, all of which fed into today's events.

“We must be united in calling on these individuals to leave the U.S. Capitol and grounds immediately and peacefully. I’m praying for the safety of the elected officials, staffers, members of the press, and first responders, and for the speedy recovery of those injured.”