Pence pleaded for national guard to ‘clear the Capitol’ during 6 January riot

As pro-Trump rioters stormed the US Capitol on 6 January, then-vice president Mike Pence made an urgent call to the acting defence secretary from a secure room.

On the phone to Christopher Miller, Mr Pence demanded: “Clear the Capitol.”

Order would not be restored for hours at Congress, nor in the streets around the complex.

Details of the call and other communications between congressional leaders and the military were revealed in a previously undisclosed document seen by the Associated Press.

The timeline of events that day was prepared by the Pentagon for internal use. The newswire had it vetted by current and former government officials.