With law enforcement officers shown pointing their firearms at rioters through the broken glass of doors to the House chamber, two GOP congressmen confronted the mob and can be heard scolding them.
Reps Troy Nehls of Texas and Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma spoke with the rioters as they attempted to breach the House floor. Both lawmakers voted against certifying the 2020 election, won by President Biden.
“You ought to be ashamed of yourself!” Nehls says. "I’ve been in law enforcement in Texas for 30 years, and I’ve never had people act this way," the congressman says. “I’m ashamed!”
One of the rioters responds that he is “ashamed of my congresspeople”.
Another insurrectionist claims “there’s going to be a bigger Civil War and a lot of bloodshed” if they didn’t overturn the election.
“They can only kill so many of us,” says one rioter.
Nehls had explained in an earlier NBC interview his exchange with the mob.
“I am going to stay right here with my brothers and sisters in blue,” Nehls said. “I had my Texas mask on, and he looked at me through that broken glass and he said, ‘You're from Texas, you should be with us,’ and at that point, I said, ‘No, sir, I cannot support what you’re doing, this is criminal.’”
Nehls has since changed his tone, referring to the death of rioter Ashli Babbitt as “murder.”
The cellphone footage shot by rioter Damon Beckley was released to the media after the request by NBC News. Prosecutors are seeking more than three years in federal prison for Beckley, whose sentencing is currently scheduled for February 9.
