“I know your pain. I know you’re hurt,” President Donald Trump said in a video message to the rioting mob that stormed and vandalised the US Capitol building and violently clashed with police on Wednesday.

Reiterating the allegation of election fraud he said in a video message on his Twitter that the election was “stolen” from him and that he won in a landslide.

“I know your pain. I know you’re hurt. We had an election that was stolen from us. It was a landslide election, and everyone knows it, especially the other side. But you have to go home. Now we have to have peace. We have to have law and order,” Trump said on Wednesday.   

“We have to respect our great people in law and order. We don’t want anybody hurt. It’s a very tough period of time. There’s never been a time like this, where such a thing happened, where they could take it away from all of us. From me, from you, from our country,” said the president.

Nothing that Trump said suggested that the protesters had been wrong to invade the Capitol building.

“This was a fraudulent election, but we can’t play into the hands of these people. We have to have peace. So go home. We love you. You’re very special. You’ve seen what happens. You see the way others are treated that are so bad and so evil. I know how you feel. But go home and go home at peace,” Trump said.

In dramatic scenes, hundreds of protesters barged into the US Capitol, where members of the US Congress were going through the process of counting and certifying the Electoral College votes to affirm Joe Biden’s victory in the November presidential election.

The joint session to certify Biden’s win was forced into recess as the lawmakers were escorted out of the building by the police. 

There were reports of shooting inside the building and armed confrontation at the doors of the House of Representatives. Tear gas was also used. A woman was reported to be in a critical condition.

Trump previously tweeted to his supporters to “stay peaceful” after they stormed the Capitol.

“Please support our Capitol Police and Law Enforcement,” Trump tweeted after tear gas was used in the locked-down Capitol.

“They are truly on the side of our Country. Stay peaceful!”

Vice President Mike Pence, who was in the Capitol when the building was attacked by the rioters, tweeted that the “violence and destruction taking place at the US Capitol Must Stop and it Must Stop Now.” 

President-elect Joe Biden hit out at the protesters calling them a bunch of “extremists” and urged President Trump to call for peace on the national television.

Troops and police from the neighbouring states have been deployed to help the Capitol police.

Rioters were seen marching through the building chanting “We want Trump” and one was even photographed in the Senate president’s chair, scanning through the documents.

A citywide curfew has been declared from 18:00 to 06:00 (23:00 to 11:00 GMT) by Washington DC’s mayor.

The rioters came at the Capitol straight from a “Save America Rally” earlier in the day where Trump had urged them to support the legislators opposing Biden’s confirmation and also encouraged them to head to the Capitol.

Trump has refused to concede the November 3 election, repeatedly alleging fraud. Though he has failed to give proof of any irregularities in the election.