Democratic New Jersey Rep. Andy Kim decided to help clean up the mess Thursday in the Capitol building after pro-Trump rioters stormed and trashed the building, the Associated Press (AP) reported.
Kim made his way down the halls of the building and noticed water bottles, flags and trash scattered about, according to the AP. Kim decided to pitch in and help clean the building, according to CBS Philly.
Rep. Andy Kim, D-N.J., helps ATF police officers clean 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) @ap pic.twitter.com/hBsC70uxPW
— Andrew Harnik (@andyharnik) January 7, 2021
Rep. @AndyKimNJ paused his legislative duties to help @ATFHQ agents clean up messes and debris scattered around the US Capitol Building after riots that happened Wednesday in #WashingtonDC. https://t.co/P5DlTvJAbB pic.twitter.com/IOV6MWUWRt
— Nick Boykin (@Boykin803) January 7, 2021
“I was just really affected emotionally,” Kim said in an interview, according to the AP. “I felt this kind of heightened, kind of supercharged kind of patriotism that I just felt take over.”
Kim said he asked police officers for a trash bag after he noticed the officer picking up pizza boxes and throwing them away.
“When you see something you love that’s broken you want to fix it. I love the Capitol. I’m honored to be there,” he said, according to the AP. (RELATED: Media Spent Months Downplaying Violent BLM, Antifa Riots. With The Capitol Riot, They’ve Suddenly Changed Their Tune)
“It really broke my heart and I just felt compelled to do something … What else could I do?” he added.
Fellow Democratic New Jersey Rep. Tom Malinowski said he didn’t even realize it was Kim on his hands and knees cleaning debris off the floor at first, according to the AP.
“I think it was 1 in the morning. There were a couple National Guardsmen [sic] and I noticed somebody on his hands and knees leaning under a bench to pick something up and it was Andy all by himself, just quietly removing debris and putting it in a plastic bag,” he said according to the AP.
A mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol building Wednesday as Congress tried to certify President-elect Joe Biden’s win. Rioters smashed in doors, brawled with police and took over the floor before the building was cleared.