Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) told reporters on Wednesday that he thanked Officer Eugene Goodman for directing him to safety during the Capitol riot on Jan. 6.
“I expressed my appreciation to him for coming to my aid and getting me back into the path of safety and express my appreciation for all that he did that day,” Romney said he told Goodman.
Video of Goodman running past Romney during the Capitol riot and calling out to him to go in the opposite direction to get to safety was shown as evidence during the second day of former President Trump’s impeachment trial on Wednesday.
Romney said that he was on his way to workspace he has in the Capitol after being alerted that rioters were in the building, but that Goodman directed him to go back to the chamber.
“Officer Goodman came and saw me and they said ‘go back in.’ ‘It’s not safe here go back in and you’ll be safer in the chamber’ so I came back, and took my seat,” Romney said.
Romney said Goodman told him about his experience during the riot that included details of Goodman becoming nauseated from breathing in tear gas and bear spray and his exhaustion from having to run around the building.
“He was talking to about the whole day and I just again told him how much I appreciated him, making sure that I was out of harm’s way,” Romney said.
GOP senators reacted to the videos that were presented Wednesday saying they were horrified by what they saw and how close some senators came to the rioters.