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Sen. Marco Rubio Claims Some Trump Supporters Who Barged Into Capitol Building ‘Got Caught Up In The Moment'

CBS Miami / Ted Scouten & Ty Russell / January 7, 2021

Sen. Marco Rubio is claiming some of the Trump supporters who barged into the Capitol building "got caught up in the moment."

Rubio, whose staff told CBS4 News wasn't available for an interview, spoke about the assault on the Capitol on Fox News Thursday night.

He condemned the violence, but also spoke about other President Trump supporters.

"Ninety-nine percent of the people that went yesterday to Washington, DC, to protest and have their voices heard did not barge into the Capitol. But 1% of thousands of people is a lot of people," the senator said. "Some of them unfortunately were adherence to a conspiracy theory and others got caught up in the moment. The result was a national embarrassment."

Wednesday night, the senator did not object to election results from certain states.

"The senators who filed it said we know we are not going to win but we are making this point. People were led to believe that these challenges would prevail," Rubio said.

The riot was fueled by conspiracy theories and false claims about the election. Even though Rubio didn't formally object, he believes there are still problems.

"The practice of states going to court to friendly judges, changing the laws so they can get an advantage for Democrats and circumventing the legislature. All that needs to be addressed," he said.

"This is stuff you see in another country. We got tin pot dictators out there lecturing us and mocking us in their Twitter feeds and online. So that stuff can't happen," said Rubio.

In a video message on Twitter, Rubio also called Wednesday's siege "one of the saddest days in our history," and a "national embarrassment."

In an earlier tweet on Wednesday, Rubio said, "There is nothing patriotic about what is occurring on Capitol Hill. This is 3rd world style anti-American anarchy."

Fellow Republican Sen. Rick Scott tweeted Thursday morning, "The thugs who stormed the capitol yesterday need to be arrested and prosecuted."

Republican Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart agreed when he tweeted, "The individuals who broke in to the US Capitol or assaulted our law enforcement should face the full consequences of the law."

Newly elected Congressman Carlos Gimenez said, "This is unacceptable and dangerous."

On the Democratic side, CBS4 News spoke to Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz by phone.

"This is deeply disturbing and more disturbing is that this domestic terrorism was incited by President Trump and Republican colleagues of mine."

A tweet by Congressman Ted Deutch reads, "Neither the president nor his enablers or violent supporters could delay democracy's march forward."

Meanwhile, Congressman Alcee Hastings and Frederica Wilson are calling for Trump to be removed.

Hastings tweeting that it was "outrageous and shameful," saying President Trump must be removed from office immediately.

Congresswoman Wilson reiterating that saying "Trump must be removed from office for inciting today's insurrection."

Rep. Wilson is calling on Vice President Mike Pence and the president's cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment, which says if the President becomes unable to do his job, the Vice President becomes the President for a short period of time if the President is sick or disabled.

However, if Cabinet secretaries want to remove the President, they would have to invoke Section 4 of the 25th Amendment which allows certain top government officials to assess that the president is "unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office."