Cotton: Capitol violence should be met with ‘full force of law’

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) tweeted Wednesday that the siege of the Capitol by pro-Trump crowds “needs to end now.”

“Violence and anarchy are unacceptable. We are a nation of laws,” Cotton tweeted from his Senate account.

Violence and anarchy are unacceptable. We are a nation of laws.

This needs to end now. https://t.co/zyrFUFYZm1

— Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) January 6, 2021

Following a rally in protest of Congress’s scheduled approval of the results of the 2020 election, supporters of President Trump gathered en masse at the Capitol steps before forcing their way inside, prompting the facility to lock down before lawmakers could vote to certify President-elect Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory.

Multiple Capitol buildings were evacuated and the House and Senate went into recess.

In a separate tweet from his personal account, Cotton tweeted “God bless the Capitol Police who are keeping us safe.”

This violence is unacceptable and needs to be met with the full force of the law.

God bless the Capitol Police who are keeping us safe.

— Tom Cotton (@TomCottonAR) January 6, 2021

Cotton was among the Senate Republicans who said they would not join an attempt by GOP colleagues to overturn the results of the 2020 election, saying Congress has no right to overturn the will of the people.

Several other GOP members of Congress also condemned the violent demonstrations, including Reps. Adam Kinzinger (Ill.), Chip Roy (Texas) and Michael McCaul (Texas), who called them “disgraceful” in a tweet.

I like many people voted for President Trump in the 2020 election and hoped for a different result. But violence and destruction is not the way to express your grievances. This is disgraceful and has to end. pic.twitter.com/AKGqJ0d26p

— Michael McCaul (@RepMcCaul) January 6, 2021