Earlier today, a mob of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol in order to attempt to overturn legal election results.
Though the rioters have been dispersed and the Congressional count of electoral votes continues right now, there are still concerns about the safety of certifying the results and the transition of Presidential power on January 20.
NY State Governor Andrew Cuomo just announced that he will be sending 1,000 members of the New York National Guard to Washington, D.C., as requested by the United States National Guard. They will remain for up to two weeks, to “aid and facilitate the peaceful transition of presidential power.” He said that it will not affect the state’s ongoing efforts to contain and combat COVID-19.
“For 244 years, the cornerstone of our democracy has been the peaceful transfer of power, and New York stands ready to help ensure the will of the American people is carried out, safely and decisively,” he said. “God bless our brave men and women in uniform, and God bless the United States of America.”
The Governor also made a statement earlier tonight condemning the riots, saying:
We must call today’s violence what it actually is: a failed attempt at a coup. We won’t let President Trump, those in Congress who enable him, or the lawless mob that stormed the Capitol steal our democracy. The will of the American people will be carried out.
As did the Mayor, and many other NYC lawmakers:
People ignored the signs in the 1930s and paid an awful price.
This is what fascism looks like, and @realDonaldTrump is responsible. https://t.co/tXcbjcSrrV— Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) January 6, 2021
Was barricaded in for several hours. I’ll tell y’all about it later.
For now, we must focus on task at hand: to preserve the integrity of our democracy, hold accountable those responsible for their attempts to subvert our nation’s elections and shred our Constitution apart.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 7, 2021
Life never unfolds quite as you imagine it. I never thought, as a newly sworn-in Congressman, that I would live through a violent assault on the US Capitol during an electoral college vote count. @realDonaldTrump has managed to make the unimaginable a reality.
— Ritchie Torres (@RitchieTorres) January 6, 2021
featured image source: NYC/Governor Cuomo