Rep. Pascrell On Rioters, Republicans: 'This Is Fascism'

WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr., a vocal and incessant critic of President Donald Trump, has tweeted from the United States Capitol, where supporters of the president have forced their way into both chambers of Congress.

The longtime congressman confirmed that he was on the House floor, but is safe.

"I was on the floor but I am safe with my brave staff. What we are witnessing is an attempted coup directly incited by the criminal in the White House. It will fail," he said.

Pascrell criticized Republican officials and the president, whom he said "egged on" protesters as they began the first round of Congressional objections to the election of Joe Biden.

"While we watch the republican Sedition Caucus try to burn down democracy, just outside us rioting rightwing mobs are attacking police trying to storm the Capitol," Pascrell tweeted.

"These extremists are egged on by trump and republicans’ coup attempt. This is fascism."

In an official statement, Pascrell spoke even clearer to Republicans and to Trump.

He called for Trump to be prosecuted for crimes including an incitemant of violence, and he added that if the Defense Department had anything to do with blocking a National Guard deployment, those responsible should also be "held accountable and possibly arrested."

"Today inside the Capitol, Republicans sought to tear down our democracy while the rightwing extremist mob they whipped up outside is violently trying to do the same," said Pascrell. "This attempted coup is treasonous. It was incited directly by Donald Trump and some Congressional Republicans."

To his republican colleagues — particularly those in direct support of the president — he said this:

"To all the Trump sycophants that followed in his footsteps, to all my Republican colleagues I say this: once the fascist genie has been let out of the bottle, he can’t be forced back in. Violent fascism at the footsteps of our national legislature was fed by Republicans and years of fomenting extremism against our government. They built this. This authoritarianism will not disappear in 14 days. I have been calling for accountability for four years. It cannot be ignored any longer. The long-term preservation of democracy is in our hands right now. It is the challenge of our time to eradicate this poison starting now."

Members of Congress from both parties implored President Donald Trump to use his influence on Twitter to quell the violence as one person was treated for a gunshot wound at the Capitol, a Washington, D.C., paramedic told a Fox 5 reporter.

For more on this developing story, read our Patch report: Trump Supporters Breach Locked Down Capitol; 1 Shot In Melee