Impeachment article has 200 cosponsors: US rep.
The draft, citing "incitement of insurrection," could be introduced Monday.
President Donald Trump is slated to hand over control of the White House to President-elect Joe Biden in 11 days.
Top headlines:
- Rep. Cicilline: 'Just passed 200 cosponsors' on article of impeachment
- GOP Rep. Kinzinger: Best thing for the country is Trump to resign
- Pence to attend Biden's inauguration: Source
- Senate Democrat says Cruz, Hawley should resign or 'the Senate must expel them'
- Trump asked Georgia election investigator to 'find the fraud': Source
Trump tries to justify chaos at Capitol
As the chaotic scene continued in the nation's capital with the world watching, Trump once again tweeted his repeated his false claim that the presidential election was being stolen from him and appeared to try to justify the storming of the U.S. Capitol that he encouraged earlier in the day.
"These are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away from great patriots who have been badly & unfairly treated for so long," he said.
"Remember this day forever!" he added.
President Bush releases statement on 'Insurrection at the Capitol'
Former President George W. Bush released a statement on what he called an "insurrection" at the U.S. Capitol, calling it "a sickening and heartbreaking sight."
"This is how election results are disputed in a banana republic – not our democratic republic. I am appalled by the reckless behavior of some political leaders since the election and by the lack of respect shown today for our institutions, our traditions, and our law enforcement," Bush said.
"The violent assault on the Capitol – and disruption of a Constitutionally-mandated meeting of Congress – was undertaken by people whose passions have been inflamed by falsehoods and false hopes. Insurrection could do grave damage to our Nation and reputation. In the United States of America, it is the fundamental responsibility of every patriotic citizen to support the rule of law. To those who are disappointed in the results of the election: Our country is more important than the politics of the moment. Let the officials elected by the people fulfill their duties and represent our voices in peace and safety," Bush continued.
He did not mention President Trump by name.
Law enforcement descend on Capitol in riot gear ahead of curfew
Ahead of the district-wide curfew, the entire D.C. National Guard, FBI Washington Field Office, U.S. Secret Service, Federal Protective Services and the Metropolitan Police Department are responding to the breach at the U.S. Capitol to assist Capitol Police, sources tell ABC News. Deputy U.S. Marshals are also being deployed to assist, according to a Justice Department official. Customs and Border Protection officers are being deployed as well.
Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser issued a curfew beginning at 6 p.m. and ending Thursday at 6 a.m. earlier in the day -- but with minutes to go until that curfew, there are hundreds of pro-Trump supporters still on the streets, resisting calls from law enforcement and lawmakers to go home.
After nearly four hours of pro-Trump supporters breaching the building, officials have declared the U.S. Capitol is secure.
Here are images of what’s unfolding:
Manchin says Senate intends to finish business: 'These thugs are not running us off'
Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.V., just told reporters on Capitol Hill that the Senate intends to finish certifying the election this evening.
"We're going to finish tonight," Manchin said. "Everyone is committed to staying whatever it takes to get our job done."
"These thugs are not running us off," he added.
Manchin told reporters he believes that they will be able to continue debate in the Capitol building.
He said that being in the secure holding room with other Senators had a "way of bringing us together."
-ABC News' Trish Turner and Allie Pecorin
Georgia election official debunks fraud theories Trump raised on call with Raffensperger
Georgia election official Gabriel Sterling, a Republican, at a press conference on what he called "anti-disinformation Monday," ran through major voter conspiracies pushed by Trump, his allies and far-right media outlets and debunked them one-by-one in an effort to restore faith in Georgia's election system.
"The reason I'm having to stand here today is because there are people in positions of authority and respect who have said their vote didn't count and it's not true," Sterling said, stressing to Georgians that their votes count ahead of critical runoffs in the state which will determine the balance of power in the U.S. Senate.
"It's Whac-A-Mole again. It is Groundhog Day again. I'm going to talk about the things I've talked about repeatedly for two months, but I'm going to do it for one last time," Sterling said, adding he "screamed" at the radio upon hearing audio of the phone call between Trump and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger because theories Trump questioned have already been "thoroughly debunked."
For example, Sterling, responding to those who claim there were roughly 2,500 people who voted without being registered, said, "Let's just be clear about this: you can't do it!" He said, "So that number is zero," going on to debunk other theories.
Asked if he believes, as some have said, that Trump's phone call was an attack on democracy, Sterling said he'd leave others to make that decision before adding he felt it was "out of place."
"I found it to be something that was not normal -- out of place -- and nobody I know who would be president would do something like that to a secretary of state," Sterling said.
Asked about Raffenperger's desire to have the phone call recorded and whether he was concerned about anything improper being said or needing to release it later, Sterling said it was recorded "out of an abundance of caution"
"I think given the environment we're in right now, the political situation that we're in, the history of the president, knowing that he sometimes doesn't necessarily characterize things as they might have actually occurred, it was out of abundance of caution," Sterling said.
"I'm sure the president's side may have recorded it, too. They may have been the ones who leaked part of that, too," he added.