Trump tells protesters to 'go home,' maintaining that the election was 'stolen' amid violence at the Capitol

Trump supporters to rally in DC ahead of Electoral College certification vote

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton joins ‘Fox & Friends’ ahead of Congress’ joint session to vote on certification.

President Trump told protesters to "go home" Wednesday amid violent protests and a breach of the U.S. Capitol Building, while maintaining that the election "was stolen from us" and that it was a "landslide." 

In a video message posted to Twitter on Wednesday afternoon, the president addressed supporters, saying: "I know your pain, I know your hurt."

"We had an election that was stolen from us," Trump said from the White House. "It was a landslide election and everyone knows it, especially the other side."

He added: "But you have to go home now. We have to have peace, we have to have law and order we have to respect our great people in law and order. We don’t want anyone hurt."

The president went on to say that it is a "very tough period of time—there has never been a time like this where such a thing happened, where they could take it away from all of us— from me, from you, from our country."

"This was a fraudulent election, but we can’t play into the hands of these people," Trump said. "We have to have peace."

Trump added: "So go home, we love you, you're very special, you’ve seen what happens, you’ve seen the way others are treated that are so bad, so evil. I know how you feel."

"But go home and go home in peace," he said.

The president’s video comes as Republicans and Democrats alike slammed him for not condemning the violence that erupted on Capitol Hill during a joint session of Congress to certify the results of the presidential election.

The president’s video, which he tweeted from his account, was flagged by Twitter.

"This claim of election fraud is disputed, and this Tweet can’t be replied to, Retweeted, or liked due to a risk of violence," Twitter’s flag stated.

Earlier, the president urged protesters to "stay peaceful" on Twitter.

"Please support our Capitol Police and Law Enforcement. They are truly on the side of our Country. Stay peaceful!" Trump tweeted.

Minutes later, he said he was "asking for everyone at the U.S. Capitol to remain peaceful."

"No violence! Remember, WE are the Party of Law & Order—respect the Law and our great men and women in Blue. Thank you!" He tweeted.

The president’s tweets come as pro-Trump protesters stormed the Capitol, sending Congress into recess as they attempted to certify the results of the presidential election in favor of President-elect Joe Biden.

The president spoke earlier in the day in Washington D.C., to supporters, who later marched to the Capitol, and mounted further pressure on Vice President Mike Pence to act on his own to decertify the results of the election and send them back to the states for recertification.

Pence, before the joint session of Congress began, said he did not believe, under the Constitution, that he had the authority to "unilaterally" accept or reject electoral votes.

The president slammed Pence, saying he "didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution, giving States a chance to certify a corrected set of facts, not the fraudulent or inaccurate ones which they were asked to previously certify." 

"USA demands the truth!" Trump tweeted. 

Protesters from the pro-Trump rally descended on the Capitol, clashing with police and leading authorities to lockdown the buildings.

Pence was rushed out of the House chamber. 

Fox News has learned that a shooting victim was transported from the U.S. Capitol, as windows and doors were broken, and guns were drawn on the House floor.

Democrats and Republicans are slamming the president, lawmakers, allies, and former Trump administration officials alike, urging the president to condemn the violence, and demand the protesters leave the Capitol, saying that his tweets did not go far enough. 

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