WASHINGTON, D.C., USA — The harrowing events on Capitol Hill unfolded before our eyes but members of congress saw the siege from a different vantage point. One of our local representatives, Kathy Manning, spoke to WFMY News 2's Maddie Gardner about what it was like to be inside the House Chamber while rioters banged on the door.
"I could see that the police officers had their guns drawn and were watching all of the doors on the House Chamber and in the gallery floor and we waited crouching down for quite some time," Representative Manning said.
It was only her fourth day as North Carolina's District 6 representative. She said at one point, officers told them to take off their member pins in case the gallery was breeched. They didn't want the group to know who the representatives were.
"The only time that I became really concerned was when they had us down on the gallery floor and told us to take our pins off that was unnerving," Manning said.
After she and the others were ushered to safety, protesters entered the chambers, sitting in congress member's chairs and taking the speaker's podium. She said she did not expect the affirmation of the Electoral College vote to escalate like it did.
"We knew that yesterday was going to be a long day we were told to expect the boat to go into the wee hours of the night which indeed it did go on into the wee hours of the night," Representative Manning said. "We never expected that the President of the United States would incite an unruly mob to come to the capital in breach the capital and destroy as much as they could at the capital it was an irresponsible act of an unhinged president."
Now, representative Manning is calling for action. She said the only way for our country to move forward safely is under new leadership.
"I think the president needs to be removed from office immediately before more people get killed and I would like to see the vice president and the cabinet move as quickly as possible to invoke the 25th Amendment."