A violent mob loyal to President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday and forced lawmakers into hiding, in a stunning attempt to overturn America’s presidential election, undercut the nation’s democracy and keep Democrat Joe Biden from replacing Trump in the White House.

Associated Press congressional reporter Mary Clare Jalonick was inside the Captiol when the seige happened. She was sitting in the House Gallery watching the debate over the electoral count of Joe Biden's presidential win when what she called "total chaos" ensued.

Jalonick recounted how the nation’s elected representatives scrambled to crouch under desks and donned gas marks, while police futilely tried to barricade the building, one of the most jarring scenes ever to unfold in a seat of American political power.

"These are, you know, House lawmakers in the House Chamber who were just a few minutes earlier debating the electoral count of Joe Biden's presidential win. And all of a sudden it's just total chaos. They're all like trying to find the gas masks and, you know, putting them on, trying to figure out how to open them," Jalonick recalls.

She said press and a few members of Congress were the last to be evacuated. Members of the press were eventually taken to the Rayburn House Office Building, where they remain under lockdown.

The rioters were egged on by Trump, who has spent weeks falsely attacking the integrity of the election and had urged his supporters to descend on Washington Wednesday to protest Congress’ formal approval of Biden’s victory.

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