‘A nightmare.’ Centre County and Pa. officials react to, condemn violence in Washington
Centre County’s representatives in Washington shared on social media that they were safe Wednesday afternoon as Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol Building.
Members of Congress were evacuated after a mob stormed the building — breaking windows, climbing balconies — and upended the certification of the Electoral College vote.
U.S. Sen. Bob Casey was in the Capitol complex. None of his staff were in the building at the time of the break in.
“He is safe and taking direction from the United States Capitol Police,” staff wrote in an update on Twitter.
U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey called the mob an “absolute disgrace.”
“I appreciate the work of the United States Capitol Police under difficult circumstances,” he tweeted. “I am currently safe as are the few members of my staff that are currently at the Capitol complex.”
U.S. Rep. Fred Keller, R-Kreamer, described the violence as “shameful, completely unacceptable and un-American.”
“This is not how our Republic should operate, and the rioters must be fully prosecuted,” Keller wrote on Twitter. “God bless our Capitol police and first responders.”
In a statement issued Wednesday evening, U.S. Rep. Glenn “G.T.” Thompson, R-Howard, said that he and his staff were safe and thanked Capitol Police.
“I unequivocally support the right to peacefully assemble, but what occurred today at the U.S. Capitol was senseless, violent and destructive — and counter to American values,” Thompson said.
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf urged Trump and Pennsylvania legislative leaders to stop circulating disinformation about the election and tell their supporters the truth “before there’s further violence,” he wrote on Twitter.
“What we’re seeing today is not democracy — it’s an attempted coup,” Wolf said. “We had a free and fair election. The results were clear.”
State Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman, R-Benner Township, tweeted, “This is not our America.”
“Violence is not the American way,” he wrote. “When our rules and laws are not followed, chaos takes over. What is going on in DC should never happen.”
House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff, R-Bellefonte, issued a statement with Speaker of the House Bryan Cutler, R-Lancaster, condemning the acts of violence.
“Peaceful transitions of power are something our country has responsibly proceeded with since our founding and should serve as an inspiration to the rest of the world,” they wrote. “An objection to the electoral process is within the rights of members of Congress and has been exercised by members from both sides of the aisle at different times in our nation’s history. However, that process leads to debate and dialogue, not violence and mayhem.”
State Rep. Scott Conklin, D-Rush Township, called the riot “a disgraceful assault on the Capitol,” resulting from “elected officials engaging in the spreading of lies to further their selfish ambitions.”
“We are now all reaping what they have sowed,” Conklin said on Twitter.
Local elected officials and student leaders also took to social media to call for an end to the violence.
“A nightmare. A disgrace. An insurrection. An attempted coup in the United States of America,” Centre County Commissioner Michael Pipe tweeted Wednesday afternoon. “Only President Trump can stop this and if he doesn’t, it will only get worse. Deep sadness for our country. Let us pray for the safety of all those in Washington.”
Commissioner Mark Higgins asked residents to pray for the safety of those in Washington and to contact their federal elected officials.
“American Democracy is in the balance,” he wrote on Facebook.
University Park Undergraduate Association President Zachary McKay urged those watching the riot on television to “keep calm and keep the faith.”
“Our country’s form of self-government is a fragile experiment, the boundaries of which are certainly being tested today,” he wrote. “It’s OK to be scared, but remember that things will be OK. Our country has seen and survived dark days before, and it will do so again. This too shall pass, and the American experiment will carry on.”
Check back for updates on this story.
This story was originally published January 6, 2021 at 4:24 PM.
