“This is an embarrassment to our country. This must stop immediately. The President should call for the demonstrators to leave our Capitol Building. The final step in the constitutional process of electing our president has been disrupted. The stopping of the count of the Electoral College votes has occurred because the security of the U.S. Capitol has been breached by a violent mob. As a nation of laws, this is simply not acceptable. Lawlessness is not acceptable. This is an affront to our Constitution and everything we hold dear. Those who breached the Capitol breached the Constitution. Peaceful demonstrations outside the Capitol are an exercise of the demonstrators’ First Amendment rights. Stopping the constitutional process by which we elect the president is not.” -Gov. Mike DeWine (R-OH)
“Yesterday was a dark day for our country. Domestic terrorists attacked our seat of government, at the behest of the President of the United States. This was his last, desperate attempt to overturn the will of the American voters, but he failed, and democracy won. We must hold the president accountable for inciting this attack on our country. The cabinet and vice president should immediately invoke the 25th Amendment to remove him from office, to prevent him from doing more damage between now and Inauguration Day. And in 13 days, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will take their oaths of office and begin the work to bring out the best in our nation rather than the worst, supported by a Democratic Senate.”-Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH)
“I condemn the violent and criminal acts that took place at the U.S. Capitol today. These shameful actions to disrupt a session of Congress and vandalize the Capitol building should never happen in our great republic. The U.S. Capitol belongs to every American and is a symbol of the citadel of democracy. An attack on the Capitol building is an attack on every American. Likewise, an attack on our nation’s brave law enforcement officers is an attack on the rule of law and the safety and security of all Americans. It is time for President Trump to embrace the peaceful transfer of power, which is mandated under the Constitution and a hallmark of our democracy. The Senate should reconvene in our Chamber to get our work done. I urge the House and Senate to certify the electoral college results tonight.” -Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH)
“The rule of law means the same rules for everybody. Those of us who called for prosecution of the people who stormed the federal courthouse in Portland must apply the same demand to those who stormed the Capitol today. The color of your skin or the slogan upon your banner must not change what is and is not acceptable. Let all of us in Ohio remain peaceful. Do not let a sense of injustice produce more injustice.” -Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost
“The events of yesterday showed just why the U.S. Constitution is so important. As Congress completed its mandated business early this morning, we demonstrated that the Constitution is what allows our Republic to withstand even the most egregious and un-American attacks. No amount of violence will ever change that fact, and we will not be deterred. I swore an oath to uphold that Constitution, not a President or a party, and that means I cannot support an effort to overstep the parameters set by the 12th Amendment. I did not vote to object to the electoral college slate. I do not believe that it is within Congress’s authority to overturn the results that have been independently certified by the states. There may have been irregularities in the 2020 election, but Republican and Democrat officials across the country – including President Trump’s Attorney General, William Barr – have certified that it was not on a scale that would affect the outcome of the presidential election. It is pitiful that so many are not able to accept that fact, and clearly, work needs to be done to assure everyone that our electoral process is secure and transparent. But today, all Americans should take comfort in the knowledge that their Republic stands, and tomorrow, we will continue to work and make sure that it is made stronger by the challenges it faced.” -Rep. Steve Stivers (R-OH)
“Our democracy is under assault in our nation’s capital. Violent protests are never acceptable and must stop immediately. What we are witnessing does not reflect the overwhelming will of our great country and cannot be allowed to interfere with peaceful transfer of power. We are better than this.” -Mayor Andrew J. Ginther (D-Columbus)
“Today’s attacks on the United States Capitol are a shameful attack on American democracy. The sitting President is inciting a coup attempt to halt the peaceful transfer of power. President-elect Joe Biden won the election. I encourage everyone, especially Republican elected officials, to stand up and accept the election results. When this violent mob is removed from the Capitol, our nation will continue forward with the certification of the 2020 election. This moment will not break our Constitution or our democracy. I’m praying for our country.” -Columbus City Council President Shannon G. Hardin