Local Rally goers

Two local men who attended the Stop the Steal rally in Washington talk to us about what they saw.

Thousands of trump supporters stormed our nation's capitol causing congress to evacuate, delaying the process of counting the electoral vote.

News 12's joeli poole spoke with local residents who participated in the event.

That's our top local story.

Local residents, justin and jason stephens went to d.c.

For the 'stop the steal' trump rally, the brothers said shortly after the rally ended a march towards the capitol began.

Stephens "leading up to going to the capitol, i did not in any way feel that we were marching down there for anything other than chanting and the stop the steal campaign."

The brothers say while at lunch they were alerted that the capitol's front doors were breached and that chaos had ensued.

Stephens says they have attended trump rallies in the past but this one quickly took a turn for the worst.

Stephens "the rally at the ellipse and the rally at the capitol were two totally different tones.

It was a roller coaster of emotions from one extreme to the other.

I 110% believe that there were people there to help encite this riot."

The brothers agree that violence is never the answer on either side of party lines and america just needs to heal.

"seeing the consequences of yesterday's outcome, it quickly turned the attention off of stop the steal/election fraud to this is a party is full of rioters.

It definitely hurt the outcome of the party.

I think there is damage on both sides and that we have to heal as a nation."

The stephens brothers did not enter the capitol building but observed the chaos from outside and they are concerned about the message the riot sent.

In chattanooga, joeli poole, news 12 now.