MD Leaders Condemn 'Insurrection' That Overtook U.S. Capitol

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Maryland leaders condemned the protesters who stormed the U.S. Capitol building Wednesday afternoon. The group took over the grounds, hoping to halt Congress's validation of the presidential election results.

"All Americans should be outraged by this attack on our nation’s Capitol," Gov. Larry Hogan (R) said on Twitter. "This is a heinous and violent assault on the heart of our democracy.

The Electoral College has already declared President-elect Joe Biden (D) the victor. All that was left was the official certification by Congress on Wednesday. Biden will be inaugurated on Jan. 20.

Still, President Donald Trump's (R) team has repeatedly filed lawsuits alleging voter fraud. These suits saw little success.

Reports over the weekend said that Trump asked an official in Georgia, a key swing state that the president lost, to "find" enough votes to overturn his defeat. On Wednesday, Trump held a rally in Washington, D.C. to stop what he called a stolen election.

Thousands attended that event outside the Capitol, but a few hundred broke off. They blew past a police barricade and breached the floors of Congress, forcing lawmakers to delay their official count of the Electoral College votes.

Some state officials called it an attempted coup. Others said it was treason. One claimed it was white supremacy.

"I will not stand for this," Hogan said. "Neither should any American."

Maryland's congressional representatives also sounded off. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D) called the intruders "political arsonists."

"I never thought we would live to see the day that violent mobs seized control of the Capitol," he said. "I cry for our country."

Ben Cardin, the state's other democratic senator, spoke out. He called for unity in his statement.

"The Republican enablers who encouraged @POTUS and this insurrection must actively work to calm the crowds and restore order," Cardin said. "Words matter and the incendiary language used recently has run counter to the truth and our Constitution."

As the day went on, Maryland agencies sent support to the District of Columbia. Hogan deployed 500 National Guard members and 200 Maryland State Police troopers to help restore order in the city. Several county police departments also dispatched officers.

Most of the state's county leaders chimed in to the discussion, urging Americans to accept the election results and find unity. Here are their thoughts. Jurisdictions are listed in the order of their population.

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich (D)
"What we are seeing at the Capitol now is not a protest, it's an attempted coup - an effort to overturn our election and to destroy democracy. This riot is on @realDonaldTrump's head."

Prince Geoge's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks (D)
As of 6:40 p.m. Wednesday, Alsobrooks has not issued a statement.

Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski (D)
"Peaceful protest has long been the bedrock of our republic, but what we're seeing at the U.S. Capitol is illegal and un-American. Anyone engaged in this violence must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott (D)
"What we’re seeing on Capitol Hill today is an attack on our democracy and an act of treason. This is what white supremacy looks like."

Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman (D)
"This is a sad day for America. A very sad day. We must preserve our democracy."

Howard County Executive Calvin Ball (D)
"The images from the U.S. Capitol are despicable. I defend any Americans right to peacefully protest, but the injuries incurred by protestors, disregard for the direction of the U.S. Capitol Police and blatant disrespect toward the ‘people’s house’ was an act of chaos and anarchy."

Frederick County Executive Jan Gardner (D)
"The attack by protesters on our U.S. Capitol is an unprecedented assault on our democracy. It is unlawful, unpatriotic and an affront to all Americans."

Harford County Executive Barry Glassman (R)
"'We cannot have free government without elections and if the rebellion could force us to postpone a national election it might fairly claim to have already ruined us' Lincoln 1864. America Put this shameful rebellion down!"

Patch Field Editor Alessia Grunberger contributed reporting to this article.

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RELATED:

• Maryland Police, County Officers Deployed For DC Protest
• Trump Mob Breaches Capitol; 1 Killed In Melee; Biden Decries Riot

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