So you see the members of Congress starting to recognize this as well.

They're locking the doors.

They are being told that there are gas masks below their seats.

And I think that that was a real moment where it's like, oh shit, our lives might be in danger.

Hello, my name is Olivia Beavers and I am a Politico-Congressional reporter.

I just crawled over this guardrail.

We had to walk in single file and I had just gotten over it and I had to go down a couple of steps to find some

cover under a desk. And I'm looking over and I'm seeing reporters and members who were crying

and this fear and some people were wearing these masks in case any kind of gas was released and we had to

walk through it. And then I'm looking at Capitol Police who have their guns drawn and they're

pointing through this tiny point in this, this glass window that's in the door. So it's a door

with with glass window kind of details. And they had, they had busted a hole so that they

could point the guns at the protesters that they tried to break through. And that was a moment

why you're like, wow, this, I mean, it's just a complete shock.

It's Thursday, January 7th.

This is your Politico Playbook audio briefing.

Today, the storming of the U.S. Capitol.

Yesterday looked like something out of a movie.

An armed mob climbed the walls of the U.S. Capitol, breaking through a police line to raid offices and wave Confederate flags, as lawmakers barricaded themselves inside

rooms with security pointing guns at the door, and staffers and reporters fleeing to find safety

anywhere. But Congress returned to their disheveled chambers late last night.

And at 3.30 Eastern this morning, Congress affirmed Joe Biden's victory, after a day of pro-Trump

...