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Pence calls on protesters to leave Capitol

Mike Pence
Posted at 4:15 PM, Jan 06, 2021
and last updated 2021-01-06 16:15:34-05

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Mike Pence is calling on protesters to leave the Capitol immediately.

In a tweet Wednesday afternoon, Pence said, “This attack on our Capitol will not be tolerated and those involved will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

Pence, long a loyal aide to the president, defied Trump earlier Wednesday, tell him he didn't have the power to discard electoral votes that will make Democrat Joe Biden the next president on Jan. 20. Trump had publicly called on Pence to overturn the will of the voters, but Pence's constitutional role in the process was only ceremonial.

Angry Trump supporters stormed the Capitol in a chaotic protest aimed at thwarting the peaceful transfer of power. Trump later issued a restrained call for peace but did not ask his supporters to disperse.