TULSA, Okla. — Oklahoma Congressman Markwayne Mullin found himself face-to-face with rioters in the U.S. Capitol Wednesday afternoon.
"This whole situation, it shouldn’t have happened," Mullin said.
READ MORE: Updates: Officials secure Capitol nearly four hours after pro-Trump rioters storm building
Mullin was in the House Chamber when he said things escalated quickly.
He said they started hearing a commotion, rioters attempting to enter the chamber. Video shows him getting close to those at the doors. He said glass broke, but no shots were fired.
“I started talking to the protesters and I said, 'You almost got shot. Do you realize you almost got shot? Is that worth it? Is that worth it?'" Mullin said. "And they said, 'What?' And I said, 'Is that worth it? You almost died.' And they quit beating on the door. Except there’s always the agitator. Which is what brings, you know, a protest into a mob. And this one little protester, agitator, started in his way. And he started saying, 'You know it’s our house. It’s our house. It’s our house.' I said, 'It’s our house too and I’m not going to let you come in here.'"
Mullin did an interview with a local radio station Wednesday morning, prior to the events, and mentioned how he did not believe President Trump’s supporters would escalate the situation, but instead would stop it. He said this is different from what he's seen at President Trump rallies in the past.
“This was a different group of individuals," he said. "As I said the police officers I talked to said the protesters went on and there was a group that broke away from them. And they had evil intentions. They had evil in their eyes. I don’t know who’s to blame for that, I don’t know who the antagonizers were or who sent them.”
Wednesday’s attack on the Capitol led to many officers getting injured. Mullin said he visited with them in a triage center set up in a basement of an office building and commends them for their service.
“The real heroes tonight were law enforcement," he said. "Because a lot of them got hurt tonight. A lot of them got hurt. They put their life on the line to make sure that me and my staff, our we could get home to our families but they have families too.”
Mullin said after the electoral votes, he expects Congress to recess for a bit so members and staff can go home and take a breath.
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