The top Democrats in Congress echoed Biden's message: ?We are calling on President Trump to demand that all protestors leave the U.S. Capitol and Capitol Grounds immediately," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said in a joint statement.
Pelosi, in another statement on Wednesday evening, called the violence ?a shameful assault? on democracy and vowed that both chambers of Congress will reconvene tonight to finish certifying Biden?s win under heightened protection.
Former Attorney General William Barr, who was with Trump last summer as National Guard members sprayed tear gas to disperse peaceful protesters so the president could hold a Bible for a photo opportunity, condemned Wednesday's violence.
He said in a statement: "The violence at the Capitol Building is outrageous and despicable. Federal agencies should move immediately to disperse it."
Protesters tear down barriers and clash with police outside the Capitol on Wednesday.John Minchillo / AP
Rep. Katherine Clark, D-Mass., who is the assistant speaker of the House, said in a statement that Congress stands ready to continue its ceremonial role in certifying Biden's win and excoriated Trump for encouraging the rioters.
?Donald Trump is a traitor to our country and our Constitution. He must be removed from office and prevented from further endangering our country and our people,? she said.
Dan Eberhart, a prominent Trump and Republican party donor, also sharply criticized the protests and the president.
"If President Trump wants to have any kind of political future within the Republican Party, he needs to condemn the violence at the Capitol and stop claiming the election was stolen," Eberhart told NBC News. "President Trump had his day in court. It?s time to concede defeat and think about his political future."
He added, "The desecration of the Capitol is not going to be forgotten. He cost Sen. (Mitch) McConnell his leadership position and now he?s s-------g all over the Capitol."
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also condemned the violence in a series of tweets and called for arrests and prosecution.
"Let us swiftly bring justice to the criminals who engaged in this rioting," he said in the tweet.
Trump, who earlier Wednesday called on his supporters to march to the Capitol and even suggested that he might join them before he ultimately returned to the White House, addressed the chaos and the unrest in a series of tweets that were eventually flagged by Twitter as spreading false election claims and posing "a risk of violence."
He asked people to go home, but did not condemn the violence.
The chaotic situation came after Trump spoke to a large crowd in front of the White House. He angrily vowed never to concede to Biden and baselessly asserted that the election results were fraudulent.
"We will never give up. We will never concede. You don't concede when there's theft involved," Trump told a crowd of supporters, some of whom chanted "USA!" or waved anti-Biden banners. He later falsely claimed that Biden would be an "illegitimate" president.
Police hold back protesters outside of the Capitol, as seen from the Rotunda, on Wednesday.Olivier Douliery / AFP - Getty Images
Inside the White House, following the violent clashes in and around the Capitol, chief of staff Mark Meadows, press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, senior advisors Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner have been among those meeting with the president today, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Some White House aides appear shaken by the events that have transpired today, which have been airing on televisions in the West Wing.
?There?s been some hard days and some challenging days," a person familiar with meetings told NBC News. "I would say that this one?s the toughest.?
Trump's groundless claims of voter fraud have been widely debunked, and his legal team's efforts to challenge the election results in court have been rejected by a succession of judges. Trump has claimed Wednesday's joint session of Congress represents a chance to overturn the election, even though state electors have already certified the results and the event inside the Capitol is ceremonial.
Trump has put pressure on Pence to intervene in the count. In his lengthy and digressive remarks, Trump called on Pence to "do the right thing," even though Pence's ceremonial role does not give him with power to intervene. Pence sent a letter to Congress ahead of the ceremony saying he would not be doing what Trump has hoped.
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., tweeted that she was drawing up articles of impeachment against Trump.
"We can?t allow him to remain in office, it?s a matter of preserving our Republic and we need to fulfill our oath," she tweeted.
Trump was impeached by the House in late 2019 and acquitted by the Senate in early 2020.
Jason Bjorklund, who flew to the capital from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, said he did not know what to expect when Congress convened.
"I just felt compelled to be here, because it seems like our republic is slipping away from us," Bjorklund said. He added, baselessly, that there were "mountains of evidence of fraud" and detailed conspiracy theories about Dominion voting machines.
When asked to account for the judges who have rejected the Trump legal team's attempts to challenge the results, Bjorklund said: "I think we've got corruption from the top to the bottom."
Trump was impeached by the House in late 2019 and acquitted by the Senate in early 2020.
Jason Bjorklund, who flew to the capital from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, said he did not know what to expect when Congress convened.
"I just felt compelled to be here, because it seems like our republic is slipping away from us," Bjorklund said. He added, baselessly, that there were "mountains of evidence of fraud" and detailed conspiracy theories about Dominion voting machines.
When asked to account for the judges who have rejected the Trump legal team's attempts to challenge the results, Bjorklund said: "I think we've got corruption from the top to the bottom."
