Second District Congressman Markwayne Mullin had a very close look at Wednesday’s attack on the U.S. Capitol.
In a widely circulated photo, Mullin can be seen just feet from where rioters are trying to break into the House chamber, telling them to stop.
A few minutes later, Mullin was present when a Capitol police officer fatally shot a woman who was part of a mob pushing through another door to the chamber floor.
In a triage area for law officers in a nearby office building, Mullin said he encountered a young officer whose eyeball had been completely gouged from the socket.
“I’ve seen stuff like that before, but I never thought I’d see it on U.S. soil in the United States Capitol,” Mullin said Thursday by telephone.
Mullin said there is a lot of blame to go around for what happened, but as he has throughout the past four years, he deflected criticism of President Donald Trump, who some say incited the violence.
“We all (have responsibility),” he said. “The media has responsibility, the Republicans have responsibility, the Democrats have responsibility. Those who post the most ridiculous things on social media … have responsibility.
“No one is to blame here. We are all to blame.”
Asked if that included himself, who with Oklahoma’s other four House members joined the long-shot effort to discredit Democrat Joe Biden’s election to the presidency, and around which Wednesday’s rioters rallied, Mullin repeated that everybody bore some responsibility.
One person he wasn’t inclined to blame was Trump.
“Some people are saying the president is responsible. Absolutely not,” he said.
“At the same time, we’re all responsible for our actions.”
When it was pointed out that Trump took no action to quell the violence until hours after it began, Mullin said: “I wasn’t really paying attention to that because I was in the thick of it. No one can put the blame for this solely on the president.”
He said police told him those entering the Capitol “broke away” from the main body of pro-Trump demonstrators and attacked police “with evil intentions in their eyes.”
Mullin does indeed seem to have been in the thick of it. He said he had moved to the area where rioters were trying to break through a barricaded door when the intruders smashed a glass pane.
“They used a glass punch,” Mullin said. “It sounded like a gunshot when it went off.”
In fact, Mullin said, he first shouted “Shots fired! Shots fired!” then realized they weren’t.
“I started shouting ‘Those aren’t shots! Don’t fire!’ because the Capitol police were getting ready to fire through the door.
“I started talking to the rioters on the outside of the door, saying, ‘You almost got shot. Is it worth it?’ They stopped beating on the door and we started having a conversation, then an antagonizer came to the door and started saying his choice words, like ‘This is our house, this is our house, we’re going to take the house away from you.’
“I said, ‘This is our house, too, and we’re going to protect it. Are you willing to risk your life for it?’”
The woman killed, 35-year-old Ashli Babbitt, was in the forefront of a group who burst through another door, Mullin said. She was shot by a Capitol police officer, he said.
“We didn’t have enough people to keep one door shut, much less two,” Mullin said. “A lieutenant went over there — I know there will be questions about use of force, but there was a mob trying to break through that door and a lot more people were going to die if they came through.
“She was the first one to come through that door, unfortunately,” Mullin said. “(The officer) had to make a split-second decision. In my opinion, he had to do what was necessary to protect people’s lives.”
After the shooting, Mullin said, the rioters near the door dispersed and the chamber was cleared.
Throughout his four-term career, the Westville Republican has been quick to lambaste Democrats and others with whom he disagrees and to warn against overheated partisanship. He continued in those directions Thursday.
“We need to learn to debate better,” Mullin said.
“Two, we need to learn how to take a deep breath and ask ourselves whether this is what politics has come to.
“Three, are all of us that are in politics, are we fanning the flames or are we trying to level people’s heads a little bit? Are we trying to say those catchy phrases that get a few more likes on our social media posts? Are you trying to get one of those cute little clips to post on your social media platform? Or are we going to start having civil conversations again and sometimes agree to disagree?”
Earlier in the week, Mullin told supporters he would join formal protests of several states’ electoral votes, but he also told them success would take a miracle.
Wednesday’s riot took care of even that slim chance. Delayed by the attack, Congress verified Democrat Joe Biden’s election in the wee hours of Thursday morning.
Mullin continues to insist there are unresolved issues about the presidential election, but conceded they might not have made a difference in the outcome.
“I believe in being adamant,” he said. “You know how hard-headed I am.”
Video: Chaos at the Capitol
Gallery: Top photos from D.C., around the world on Jan. 6
APTOPIX Congress Electoral College

People shelter in the House gallery as protesters try to break into the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
APTOPIX Congress Electoral College

Vice President Mike Pence and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., read the final certification of Electoral College votes cast in November's presidential election during a joint session of Congress after working through the night, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021. Violent protesters loyal to President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol Wednesday, disrupting the process. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, Pool)
APTOPIX Congress Electoral College

Vice President Mike Pence and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., stand after to reading the final certification of Electoral College votes cast in November's presidential election during a joint session of Congress after working through the night, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021. Violent protesters loyal to President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol Wednesday, disrupting the process. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, Pool)
APTOPIX Electoral College Protests

Police keep a watch on demonstrators who tried to break through a police barrier, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, at the Capitol in Washington. As Congress prepares to affirm President-elect Joe Biden's victory, thousands of people have gathered to show their support for President Donald Trump and his claims of election fraud. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
APTOPIX Electoral College Protests

Trump supporters try to break through a police barrier, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, at the Capitol in Washington. As Congress prepares to affirm President-elect Joe Biden's victory, thousands of people have gathered to show their support for President Donald Trump and his claims of election fraud.(AP Photo/John Minchillo)
APTOPIX Electoral College Protests

Trump supporters try to break through a police barrier, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, at the Capitol in Washington. As Congress prepares to affirm President-elect Joe Biden's victory, thousands of people have gathered to show their support for President Donald Trump and his claims of election fraud.(AP Photo/John Minchillo)
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A woman draped in an American flag walks past a banner supporting President Donald Trump during a rally Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, in Huntington Beach, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
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Jason Lavoie of Raymond, carries both the retired Mississippi state flag and a pro-Trump banner as he joined a small group of people that protested the constitutional process to affirm the president-elect's victory in the November election at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss., Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2021. The group also called for a revote on the state flag issue that would provide voters a choice of flags. Many of the protestors favored the retired state flag that incorporated a Confederate battle emblem. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
APTOPIX Electoral College Protests

With the Washington Monument in the background, people attend a rally in support of President Donald Trump near the White House on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
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Workers clear the contents out of the closed down Cafe de Paris nightclub in the West End in London, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021. The nightclub which opened in 1924 closed permanently in Dec. 2020 due to the pandemic. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
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A Lithuanian Orthodox Church believers light candles before the Orthodox Christmas celebration Mass in the empty Orthodox Church of the Holy Spirit in Vilnius, Lithuania, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021. The Orthodox church cancelled all worship services but is open only for single prayers. All public and private events are banned in Lithuania, clubs, bars restaurants and most shops are closed due to the virus outbreak. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)
APTOPIX Electoral College Protests

Trump supporters participate in a rally Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021 in Washington. As Congress prepares to affirm President-elect Joe Biden's victory, thousands of people have gathered to show their support for President Donald Trump and his baseless claims of election fraud. The president is expected to address a rally on the Ellipse, just south of the White House. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
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Healthcare worker Pam Peter, right, prepares to receive her second round of the COVID-19 vaccine, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, at John Knox Village in Pompano Beach, Fla. Ninety residents and 80 staff members received their second shot of the vaccine Wednesday and 50 new staff members received their first round of the vaccine. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
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Cemetery workers carry the remains of 89-year-old Abilio Ribeiro, who died of the new coronavirus, to bury at the Nossa Senhora Aparecida cemetery in Manaus, Amazonas state, Brazil, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021. Manaus declared on Jan. 5 a 180-day state of emergency due to a surge of new cases of coronavirus. (AP Photo/Edmar Barros)
APTOPIX Congress Electoral College

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Vice President Mike Pence arrive to officiate as a joint session of the House and Senate convenes to count the Electoral College votes cast in November's election, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
APTOPIX Electoral College Protests Trump

President Donald Trump arrives to speak at a rally Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
APTOPIX Electoral College Protests

Trump supporters try to break through a police barrier, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, at the Capitol in Washington. As Congress prepares to affirm President-elect Joe Biden's victory, thousands of people have gathered to show their support for President Donald Trump and his claims of election fraud. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
APTOPIX Electoral College Protests

A protester joins a car caravan outside of City Hall Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, in Los Angeles. Demonstrators, supporting President Donald Trump, are gathering in various parts of Southern California as Congress debates to affirm President-elect Joe Biden's electoral victory. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
APTOPIX Congress Electoral College

Police with guns drawn watch as protesters try to break into the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
APTOPIX Electoral College Protests

A man dressed as George Washington kneels and prays near the Washington Monument with a Trump flag on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
APTOPIX Trump Electoral College Protests

People listen as President Donald Trump speaks during a rally Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
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People dressed as devils dance in La Diablada Pillarena amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Pillaro, Ecuador, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021. Performers took to the streets of this small city in the center of the country with only 40 characters dancing in a closed place and without an audience. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa)
APTOPIX Congress Electoral College

People shelter in the House gallery as protesters try to break into the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
APTOPIX Electoral College Protests

Supporters of President Donald Trump are confronted by Capitol Police officers outside the Senate Chamber inside the Capitol, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021 in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
APTOPIX Electoral College Protests Los Angeles

A counter demonstrator, center, yells after getting maced in the face by far-right demonstrators outside of City Hall Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, in Los Angeles. Demonstrators supporting President Donald Trump are gathering in various parts of Southern California as Congress debates to affirm President-elect Joe Biden's electoral college victory. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
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Manchester City's John Stones, right, celebrates after scoring the opening goal of his team during the English League Cup semifinal soccer match between Manchester United and Manchester City at Old Trafford in Manchester, England, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021. (Shaun Botterill/Pool via AP)
APTOPIX Congress Electoral College

U.S. Capitol Police hold protesters at gun-point near the House Chamber inside the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
APTOPIX Congress Electoral College

The House Chamber is empty after a hasty evacuation as protesters tried to break into the chamber at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
APTOPIX Electoral College Protests

Supporters of President Donald Trump climb the west wall of the the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
APTOPIX Biden

President-elect Joe Biden speaks at The Queen theater in Wilmington, Del., Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021. Biden has called the violent protests on the U.S. Capitol "an assault on the most sacred of American undertakings: the doing of the people's business." (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
APTOPIX Electoral College Protests

Demonstrators break TV equipment outside the the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
APTOPIX Electoral College Protests

Trump supporters left a flag outside the Capitol, Wednesday evening, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. As Congress prepares to affirm President-elect Joe Biden's victory, thousands of people have gathered to show their support for President Donald Trump and his claims of election fraud. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
APTOPIX Electoral College Protests

Violent protesters, loyal to President Donald Trump, storm the Capitol, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. It's been a stunning day as a number of lawmakers and then the mob of protesters tried to overturn America's presidential election, undercut the nation's democracy and keep Democrat Joe Biden from replacing Trump in the White House. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
APTOPIX Electoral College Protests

District of Columbia National Guard stand outside the Capitol, Wednesday night, Jan. 6, 2021, after a day of rioting protesters. It's been a stunning day as a number of lawmakers and then the mob of protesters tried to overturn America's presidential election, undercut the nation's democracy and keep Democrat Joe Biden from replacing Trump in the White House. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
APTOPIX Electoral College Protests Los Angeles

Supporters of President Donald Trump, who were protesting election results, and counter-protesters brawl outside Los Angeles police department headquarters in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021. (Sarah Reingewirtz/The Orange County Register via AP)
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Dr. Cedric Waechter, left, administers the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to a resident of the Bois Fleuris nursing home Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021 in Strasbourg. Amid public outcry, France's health minister promised Tuesday an "exponential" acceleration of his country's shockingly slow coronavirus vaccination process. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias)
APTOPIX Congress Electoral College

Rep. Andy Kim, D-N.J., cleans up debris and personal belongings strewn across the floor of the Rotunda in the early morning hours of Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021, after protesters stormed the Capitol in Washington, on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
APTOPIX Congress Electoral College

Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., stops to look at damage in the early morning hours of Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021, after protesters stormed the Capitol in Washington, on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
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A Nepalese supporter of the splinter group in the governing Nepal Communist Party falls during clashes with police in Kathmandu, Nepal, Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021. Nepal's president dissolved Parliament after the prime minister recommended the move amid an escalating feud within his Communist Party that is likely to push the Himalayan nation into a political crisis. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
APTOPIX Virus Outbreak Belgium Vaccine

Nurses administer Pfizer/Biontech COVID-19 vaccines to residents at the CHC Landenne care home in Landenne-sur-Meuse, near Namur, Belgium, Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021. Vaccinations programs in the 27 nation-bloc have gotten off to a slow start and some EU members have been quick to blame the EU's executive arm for a perceived failure of delivering the right amount of doses. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
APTOPIX Germany Congress World Reaction

A large news screen beside a street in Essen, Germany, showing US president Donald Trump, and a headline reading 'Biden as US president confirmed, orderly transfer of power - Trump declares defeat' on Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)