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'Outraged and devastated': Former Iowa Congressman leaves GOP following violence

Gov. Reynolds, former Rep. Dave Loebsack and others also weighed in on Wednesday's news.

DES MOINES, Iowa — While Iowa's Congressional delegation sheltered in place as mobs descended on the U.S. Capitol Wednesday, other Iowa leaders weighed in on the chaos and what they think it means for the country.

Supporters of President Donald Trump broke through barricades and into the Capitol Wednesday as Congress held a joint session to confirm Joe Biden's Electoral College victory.

Since then, the session has resumed with both the House and Senate confirming Biden's win. 

Longtime Iowa Congressman Jim Nussle announced via Twitter that he will no longer call himself a Republican after Wednesday's violence, saying "a final line was crossed."

"The GOP is NO more and left me and others behind," Nussle's tweet reads. 

Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds tweeted her prayers to Capitol Police and condemned the behavior of the violence created by Trump supporters. 

Former Democratic Congressman Dave Loebsack also condemned the violence at the Capitol. 

"This is nothing less than an attempt at mob rule," Loebsack tweeted. "President Trump needs to address this situation immediately and tell his supporters this is completely beyond the pale." 

A statement from Democratic State Auditor Rob Sand warned, "a very real danger that the insurrection and violence at the United States Capitol escalates in the coming days and weeks."

"When President Trump claims the election was rigged, they must snuff the passion he intends to inflame by stating unequivocally and clearly that Joe Biden is the legitimate winner of the election and that he should be rightly inaugurated on January 20," the statement says. 

Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller, a Democrat, didn't release a full statement, but did retweet the following statement from Washington, D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine. 

Iowa GOP leader Jeff Kaufmann also weighed in on the violence via Twitter, saying that the GOP is "the party of law and order." 

"This is NOT a peaceful protest," the chairman tweeted. "I condemn any and all violence toward on our government officials and law enforcement and encourage others to do the same."

Lastly, Iowa Democratic Party Chair Mark Smith sent a thread of tweets, calling out Republican Congressional leaders and the governor. 

"Their rubber-stamped talking points in the face of insurrection should be a warning to Iowans that our GOP leaders are willing to break down the pillars of democracy if it means they can stay in power," Smith tweeted. 

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