Behind the Scenes on Capitol Hill--By CNN's Manu Raju #January 2, 2021.....

[riversedge]

Behind the Scenes on Capitol Hill

https://onwisconsin.uwalumni.com/features/behind-the-scenes-on-capitol-hill/

Manu Raju ’02 rises to CNN’s chief congressional correspondent at a turbulent time for politics and media.

By Preston Schmitt ’14

Raju's meteoric rise in Washington traces back to an unconventional start at UW–Madison. Oliver Janney / CNN



“I’m seeing dozens and dozens of police officers in riot gear, wearing gas masks. And I can tell you it smells like tear gas. … As I’m walking through the tunnels here, there’s debris everywhere. The rioters clearly have breached all elements of the building.”

Manu Raju ’02 is on live television, audibly out of breath, as he’s being escorted alongside other members of the press corps by Capitol Police to a secure and undisclosed location. It’s January 6, 2021, and one sign that something surreal is happening is the slightly shaken voice of a normally composed CNN reporter. He knew it was serious when he received an email from police three hours earlier with an “internal security threat” warning and directions to lock down and remain quiet.

Raju, 41, had arrived at the U.S. Capitol to cover the certification of electoral college votes in Joe Biden’s victory over Donald Trump for the presidency. What’s typically a formality turned into a deadly affair when a violent mob of Trump supporters rushed the building and interrupted the proceedings. Throughout it all, Raju did what he does every day on Capitol Hill: talked to sources and reported breaking news on TV, Twitter, and CNN’s website.

“It was so chaotic, and people were glued to their phones,” Raju says. “A lot of people in the Capitol told me that they were relying on my tweets. They didn’t have the TV on because they were hiding under their desks, or they were in shelter, and they did not want to draw attention. We pushed out as much information as we could.”

He adds: “I reflect back on that day, and I often think that I had no idea how much danger we were in.”..............................................





Manu Raju in front of the U.S. Capitol building




Edit to add:

Link to tweet

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Link to tweet

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[EYESORE 9001]

1. What's with the date?

January 2, 2021?