Romney: Capitol riot was 'an insurrection against the Constitution'

Sen. Mitt Romney Willard (Mitt) Mitt RomneyImmigration experts say GOP senators questioned DHS secretary with misleading chart Top border officials defend Biden policies US Olympic Committee urges Congress not to boycott Games in China MORE (R-Utah) called the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol an “insurrection against the Constitution” as some GOP lawmakers sought to minimize the violence this week.

The comment came as several Republicans, including Reps. Andrew Clyde (Ga.), Jody Hice Jody Brownlow HiceDemocrat moves to censure three Republicans for downplaying Jan. 6 GOP downplays Jan. 6 violence: Like a 'normal tourist visit' GOP's Gosar defends Jan. 6 rioter, says she was 'executed' MORE (Ga.) and Paul Gosar Paul Anthony GosarDemocrat moves to censure three Republicans for downplaying Jan. 6 Gohmert says Jan. 6 mob attack on Capitol not an 'armed insurrection' The Hill's 12:30 Report - Presented by Facebook - Colonial pays hackers as service is restored MORE (Ariz.), downplayed or made false claims about the attack.

Clyde asserted during a House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing on Wednesday that calling the events of Jan. 6 an "insurrection" was a “boldfaced lie.”

Speaking to HuffPost on Thursday, Romney noted that the mob attack resulted in severe property damage and death.

“I was there,” Romney said. “What happened was a violent effort to interfere with and prevent the constitutional order of installing a new president.”

“As such, it was an insurrection against the Constitution that resulted in severe property damage, severe injuries and death,” he continued.

Romney was one of seven GOP senators to vote to convict former President Trump Donald TrumpVirginia GOP gubernatorial nominee acknowledges Biden was 'legitimately' elected Biden meets with DACA recipients on immigration reform Overnight Health Care: States begin lifting mask mandates after new CDC guidance | Walmart, Trader Joe's will no longer require customers to wear masks | CDC finds Pfizer, Moderna vaccines 94 percent effective in health workers MORE for inciting the insurrection. He was joined by GOP Sens. Richard Burr Richard Mauze BurrGOP senator urges Biden to withdraw support for COVID vaccine patent waiver Utah county GOP censures Romney over Trump impeachment vote Battle lines drawn over Biden's support for vaccine waivers MORE (N.C.), Bill Cassidy Bill CassidyUtah county GOP censures Romney over Trump impeachment vote Amazon blocks 10B listings in crackdown on counterfeits Cassidy on pipeline cyberattack: Congress must equip businesses with defenses against incursions MORE (La.), Susan Collins Susan Margaret CollinsFormer OMB pick Neera Tanden to serve as senior adviser to Biden The Hill's Morning Report - Presented by Facebook - Masks off: CDC greenlights return to normal for vaccinated Americans Masks shed at White House; McConnell: 'Free at last' MORE (Maine), Lisa Murkowski Lisa Ann MurkowskiSenate panel deadlocks over Biden pick to lead DOJ civil rights division Senate GOP dismayed by vote to boot Cheney Cheney set to be face of anti-Trump GOP MORE (Alaska), Ben Sasse Ben SasseOvernight Energy: 5 takeaways from the Colonial Pipeline attack | Colonial aims to 'substantially' restore pipeline operations by end of week | Three questions about Biden's conservation goals Hillicon Valley: Colonial Pipeline attack underscores US energy's vulnerabilities | Biden leading 'whole-of-government' response to hack | Attorneys general urge Facebook to scrap Instagram for kids Utah county GOP censures Romney over Trump impeachment vote MORE (Neb.) and Pat Toomey Patrick (Pat) Joseph ToomeySasse rebuked by Nebraska Republican Party over impeachment vote Philly GOP commissioner on censures: 'I would suggest they censure Republican elected officials who are lying' Toomey censured by several Pennsylvania county GOP committees over impeachment vote MORE (Pa.).

Several of the senators have been censured by Republican groups in their states, with Romney most recently being censured by the GOP in Weber County, Utah’s fourth-most populous county.

During Wednesday’s hearing, Clyde asserted that a photo of individuals walking in Statuary Hall after breaching the Capitol looked like a “normal tourist visit,” despite evidence showing rioters engaging in vandalism and violence elsewhere in the building.

Gosar declared that Ashli Babbitt, a Trump supporter who was shot by a Capitol Police after trying to breach the House chamber, was "executed" while also stressing that Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick died of “natural causes.” Sicknick suffered two strokes while responding to the mob attack.

Hice said that Babbitt and four others who died that day were Trump supporters, not “supporters who were taking the lives of others.”

Rep. David Cicilline David CicillineDemocrat moves to censure three Republicans for downplaying Jan. 6 Democrats reintroduce legislation to ban 'ghost guns' Republicans float support for antitrust reform after Trump Facebook ban upheld MORE (D-R.I.) began asking his Democratic colleagues on Friday to sign a resolution censuring the three lawmakers for their comments.