Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., tweeted a picture of what appears to be the mahogany boxes holding the Electoral College certificates that were the focus of the joint session -- forced to a halt when pro-Trump protesters stormed the building earlier just as debate on Arizona's vote count was underway.

The boxes are safe, per the senator, who added, "If our capable floor staff hadn’t grabbed them, they would have been burned by the mob."

After hours of chaos and as the Virginia State Police arrived at the U.S. Capitol Building, Trump called on his supporters to "go home" in a one-minute video message posted to Twitter.

Trump still didn't concede his loss to Biden and, without evidence, called the election "stolen" and fraudulent," but told the protesters to go home "in peace."

"I know you're hurt. We had an election that was stolen from us. It was a landslide election, and everyone knows it, especially the other side. But you have to go home now. We have to have peace. We have to have law and order we have to respect to our great people in law and order. We don't want anybody hurt."

"It's a very tough period of time. There's never been a time like this where such a thing happened where they could take it away from all of us from me from you from our country. This was a fraudulent election. But we can't play into the hands of these people. We have to have peace."

"So go home. We love you. You're very special. You've seen what happens. You see the way others are treated that are so bad and so evil. I know how you feel -- but go home and go home in peace," he said.

President-elect Joe Biden, who was scheduled to deliver afternoon remarks on the economy, addressed the unrest at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday afternoon from Wilmington, Delaware, and called on Trump to "step up" and condemn the chaos being committed in his name.

"I call on President Trump to go on national television now, to fulfill his oath and defend the Constitution and demand an end to this siege," Biden said. "To storm the Capitol, to smash windows, to occupy offices, the floor of the United States Senate, rummaging through desks -- on the Capitol, on the House of Representatives -- threatening the safety of duly elected officials, it's not a protest. It's insurrection."

"The world is watching," he continued. "Think what our children watching television are thinking. Think what the rest of the world is looking at. For nearly two and a half centuries, we the people, in search of a more perfect union, have kept our eyes on that common good. America is so much better than what we’ve seen today."

Former Republican New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie called on President Donald Trump to ask protesters to leave the Capitol grounds on ABC News Live.

"It’s pretty simple," he said. "The President caused this protest to occur. He's the only one who can make it stop."

"What the vice president just said is not good enough, what the president said is not good enough," Christie added. "The President has to come out and tell his supporters to leave the Capitol grounds, and to allow the Congress to do their business peacefully. Anything short of that is an abrogation of his responsibility."

Christie noted that both Trump and his son Donald Trump Jr. had previously spoken to the crowd.

"I don't know that they anticipated this was going to be the result," he said. "But it doesn't matter whether they did or they didn’t. This is the result of their words."

In an interview on Fox News Monday morning, Republican senatorial candidate David Perdue said that while he and his wife have "repeatedly" tested negative for coronavirus, he is still quarantining after coming into "close contact" last week with a campaign staffer who tested positive and hopes to participate in

"I’m going to participate hopefully tonight by virtually in this rally, but I’m so excited that President Trump is coming again," Perdue said, going on to paint the dire picture of the country if Democrats win.

Asked what he wants to hear the president say Monday, Perdue said: "First of all this is the last opportunity we will have to protect everything that we’ve accomplished in the last four years. The second thing is the last line of defense to stop the Democrats from perpetrating this radical socialist agenda. It’s as simple as that." 

As he did Sunday, Perdue blasted disclosure of the call between Trump and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and defended the president.

"To have a state-wide elected official, regardless of party, tape unknowing -- to tape without disclosing a conversation -- private conversation of the president of the United States and then leaking it to the press is disgusting," Perdue said.

When asked if he was concerned that GOP voters may be discouraged from participating in the aftermath of a general election Republicans continue to contest, Perdue said, "Well that’s what the Democrats want." Trump himself acknowledged post-election chaos may hinder turnout in the runoffs during his call with Raffensperger Saturday -- and blamed the secretary for it.

-ABC News’ Quinn Scanlan