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All four living former presidents — Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter — denounced Wednesday’s violent storming of the U.S. Capitol

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This coverage has ended. Follow here for Thursday's updates. Congress was set to confirm that President-elect Joe Biden won the election. Show more
The latest developments

The Senate stopped its proceedings, with Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) interrupted by an aide who said protesters were in the building. The House doors also were closed. In a notification, U.S. Capitol Police said no entry or exit is permitted in the buildings within the Capitol Complex. "Stay away from exterior windows, doors. If outside, seek cover," police said.

A woman was fatally shot inside the U.S. Capitol after the mob breached the building. The circumstances were not clear.

The entire D.C. National Guard was activated. The rapid expansion of military involvement came after D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) requested that guards members already on duty be sent to the Capitol, said a defense official and a District official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

In a televised speech, Biden condemned Trump for stoking the violence. "I call on this mob to pull back and allow the work of democracy to go forward," he said.

Bowser imposed a citywide curfew as a chaotic scene worsened at the U.S. Capitol building. From 6 p.m. Wednesday to 6 a.m. Thursday, Bowser said no one other than essential personnel would be allowed outdoors in the city.

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Here's what to know:

The Senate stopped its proceedings, with Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) interrupted by an aide who said protesters were in the building. The House doors also were closed. In a notification, U.S. Capitol Police said no entry or exit is permitted in the buildings within the Capitol Complex. "Stay away from exterior windows, doors. If outside, seek cover," police said.

A woman was fatally shot inside the U.S. Capitol after the mob breached the building. The circumstances were not clear.

The entire D.C. National Guard was activated. The rapid expansion of military involvement came after D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) requested that guards members already on duty be sent to the Capitol, said a defense official and a District official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

In a televised speech, Biden condemned Trump for stoking the violence. "I call on this mob to pull back and allow the work of democracy to go forward," he said.

Bowser imposed a citywide curfew as a chaotic scene worsened at the U.S. Capitol building. From 6 p.m. Wednesday to 6 a.m. Thursday, Bowser said no one other than essential personnel would be allowed outdoors in the city.

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Election 2020: Biden defeats Trump

The latest: Congress affirms Biden's presidential win following riot at U.S. Capitol

Graphic: How members of Congress voted on counting the electoral college vote

Live updates: Trump pledges 'orderly transition' after Biden is declared winner at the end of a violent day

25th Amendment: Senior officials have discussed removing Trump. Here's how that could work.

Election results under attack: Here are the facts

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Woman dies after shooting in U.S. Capitol; D.C. National Guard activated after mob breaches building

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A day that began with thousands of President Trump's supporters in Washington for demonstrations turned violent as many in attendance saw Wednesday as a last stand for Trump because Congress was set to confirm that President-elect Joe Biden won the election.

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I want to know what motivated people to become violent? What do they fear with the change of presidency?

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I want to know what motivated people to become violent? What do they fear with the change of presidency?

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The last time the White House was stormed...

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The last time the White House was stormed...

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This quote made me think :

“The last time somebody stormed the capitol, it was in 1814. It was the British. It was the War of 1812,” said McKinney.

“That was a military measure by a foreign power against the United States,” said Goudsouzian.

It was not an action by its own citizens.

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"This is a day that I feel will have negative lasting effects on American democracy and the stability of our government," said Aram Goudsouzian.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - We've heard responses from many regarding Wednesday's riot at the U.S. Capitol. Local historians are also weighing in on the conversation.

Local 24 News Reporter, Brittani Moncrease, shows us how Wednesday's actions compare to history.

Unprecedented times. That has been the mantra of this decade, so far first with the pandemic and now rioters storming the U.S. Capitol.

Here is the thing. Protests aren't anything new.

"Protests can work. Protests often do work," said Aram Goudsouzian, University of Memphis History Professor.

What we saw in Washington, D.C., Wednesday, was something we haven't seen in the United States before.

So, we turned to two historians, Aram Goudsouzian and Charles McKinney.

"We've been leading up to this moment since the moment that the president declared that the election had been stolen," said Charles McKinney, Rhodes College, Neville Ryerson Bryant Associate Professor of History.

"This is a day that I feel will have negative lasting effects on American democracy and the stability of our government," said Goudsouzian.

From protest like Black Lives Matter, Civil Rights Movement, Women's Suffrage, and even the Great Depression, historians say this just doesn't compare.

"What makes today's instance so unique and so distressing is that it is forceable, armed into Congress itself and it's encouraged by the President of the United States. This is unprecedented in American history," Goudsouzian.

"The last time somebody stormed the capitol, it was in 1814. It was the British. It was the War of 1812," said McKinney.

During that time, part of congress and the White House were burned down. Still, historians say that doesn't compare.

"That was a military measure by a foreign power against the United States," said Goudsouzian.

It was not an action by its own citizens.

Another difference is the cause.

"With many of the other protests we have seen, they have stemmed from a cause," said Goudsouzian. "They were all based in a universal fact or universal proof. Here's a protest that's being built around lies, being built around fiction, being built around conspiracy."

Then, there is the issue of race.

"This is also the personification of white privilege," said McKinney. "Could you imagine Black activists in the 1960's and 70's trying to storm the capitol? That would be inconceivable. That would literally be a suicide mission...We can't get to the bottom of this...until we grapple with the titanic double standard when it comes to police, security, and surveillance when it comes to white folks and nonwhite folks."

Has anything like this ever happened before in the U.S.? That's the question on many people's minds after the riot at the capitol. Tonight @LocalMemphis has the answer. We spoke with two local historians.
- Brittani Moncrease (@Local24Brittani) January 7, 2021

These are all reasons some question whether or not this can be called a protest in the first place.

"Their presence is the damage," said McKinney. "That's not just a protest. There's a difference between marching down the street and literally forcing the machinery of government to grind to a halt. You can call that protest if you want."

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When was the last time people stormed the US Capitol?

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"This is a day that I feel will have negative lasting effects on American democracy and the stability of our government," said Aram Goudsouzian. MEMPHIS, Tenn. - We've heard responses from many regarding Wednesday's riot at the U.S. Capitol. Local historians are also weighing in on the conversation.

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Madness

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Sad

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One women dead claimed to be cavilian

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Violence

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Four people dead including one woman that was shot.

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US Capitol secured, 4 dead after rioters stormed the halls of Congress to block Biden's win | CNN Politics

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The US Capitol is once again secured but four people are dead - including one woman who was shot - after supporters of President Donald Trump breached one of the most iconic American buildings, engulfing the nation's capital in chaos after Trump urged his supporters to fight against the ceremonial counting of the electoral votes that will confirm President-elect Joe Biden's win.

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Revolt

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violence

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Hypocrisy

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Rebels

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Chaos

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Violence

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Protestors chased Police and got into the Capitol building. 1 women got shot and killed.

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Insanity

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violent

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All though it wasn't directly said in every  newspaper, the stories papers have been showing prove that white privilege is real and today was an example of that. More people died in BLM protests with real bullets and tear gas but in these protests the trump supporters were shot with rubber bullets and mace. The police used tear gas to clear the capitol after everyone broke in but with the BLM protests tear gas was used as a first resort.

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‘White privilege on display’: police hypocrisy condemned after pro-Trump insurgence

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Social media users lambaste president and compare police treatment of racial justice protesters with response to mob

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History

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The mayor of Washington D.C. declared a state of emergency until the 20th as a measure for the occupation of the Capitol.

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Brutal

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Aggression

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Violence

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4 dead, 52 arrested, 14 police officers injured from riot.

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Trump supporters protesting unfounded election fraud claims broke into the US Capitol Building. One woman was killed after she was shot inside the building.

WASHINGTON - Four people are dead, 52 are arrested and 14 DC Police officers have been injured amid pro-Trump riots and demonstrations near and at the U.S. Capitol Wednesday, according to initial information released by MPD. Those numbers are expected to rise.

Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol grounds at around 2 p.m., breaking into the US Capitol Building around 2:45 p.m., making it as far as the House Chambers where just minutes before the U.S. Congress was beginning to certify the electoral college results.

A woman was shot and killed inside the U.S. Capitol building as Trump supporters tried to break into the House Chamber.

DC's Mayor Muriel Bowser and DC Police Chief Robert Contee III said that as the rioters tried to gain access to the House Chamber after breaking into the U.S. Capitol building, a plain-clothed US Capitol Police officer fired one shot, striking a woman. She was transported to a hospital where she was pronounced dead.

The other three deaths -- one woman and two men -- are medical emergencies that are not firearm-related, said DC Police. No other information was released by DC police on these deaths.

"Any loss of life in the District is tragic," said DC Police Chief Contee in a news conference Wednesday.

Four of those arrested were charged with carrying a pistol without a license, possession of a large capacity ammunition feeding device, possession of unregistered ammunition, according to DC Police. 47 were arrested because of disobeying the curfew put in place by DC's Mayor Bowser from 6 p.m. on Wednesday until 6 a.m. on Thursday. One person was arrested for possession of a prohibited weapon, which earlier Wednesday was described by DC Police as "illegal fireworks."

Of the 52 people arrested by DC Police, 26 of them were arrested at the US Capitol Building.

Multiple people were not from the DMV area. Some of the states that these people charged are from including Michigan, Colorado, Texas and North Carolina. according to the information provided on those charged by DC Police.

Contee also praised his officers' response to the situation at the Capitol Building.

"These officers should be commended for their work. They fought hard to protect our democracy. Not only today but every day they wear that uniform," said Contee.

DC Police will send out Be On the Look Out alerts (BOLO) will be sent out by DC Police for some of the people that breached the US Capitol Building, said Bowser at the end of her news conference.

Today, I'm ordering a citywide curfew for the District of Columbia from 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 6, until 6:00 a.m. on Thursday, January 7. pic.twitter.com/lp6Pt3DcYC
- Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) January 6, 2021

Virginia's Ralph Northam declared a State of Emergency for the Commonwealth and put Arlington and Alexandria under a 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew because of the violence seen in neighboring DC.

"The behavior we are witnessing is shameful, unpatriotic and above all it is unlawful. Anyone who engages in these activities, continues to engage in these activities will be held accountable," said Bowser in her news conference Wednesday afternoon.

A lockdown that was in place Wednesday afternoon for the US Capitol Building has been lifted, according to officials.

US Park Police, DC Police and National Gaurd troops have moved the rioters gathered at the steps of the US Capitol Building and created a safety perimeter.

Tear gas and percussion grenades were deployed by police around the US Capitol to move back rioters, according to the Associated Press.

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52 arrested, 4 dead, 14 DC police officers injured amid pro-Trump riots at the U.S. Capitol

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Trump supporters protesting unfounded election fraud claims broke into the US Capitol Building. One woman was killed after she was shot inside the building. WASHINGTON - Four people are dead, 52 are arrested and 14 DC Police officers have been injured amid pro-Trump riots and demonstrations near and at the U.S.

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One of the police officers that was trying ti defend the white house was left alone at an entrance to fight off a group of around 20 civilians trying to break in

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Violence

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Arnie
A day that began with thousands of President Trump’s supporters in Washington for demonstrations turned violent as many in attendance saw Wednesday as a last stand for Trump because Congress was set to confirm that President-elect Joe Biden won the election.

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Arnie
A day that began with thousands of President Trump’s supporters in Washington for demonstrations turned violent as many in attendance saw Wednesday as a last stand for Trump because Congress was set to confirm that President-elect Joe Biden won the election.

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I want to know why the Trump supporters are rioting. It will not let Trump be the President again. Biden was already elected.

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Top White House officials consider resigning after Capitol riots that leave four dead, several injured.

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Police evacuated the House of Representatives and the Senate after pro-Trump protesters marched through the halls of Congress

WASHINGTON - Police in the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday responded with drawn guns and tear gas on Wednesday as swarms of protesters stormed in and sought to force Congress to undo President Donald Trump's election loss shortly after some of Trump's fellow Republicans launched a last-ditch effort to throw out the results.

An explosive device has been found at the Republican National Convention in Washington, the New York Times reports. An official said it was identified as a pipe bomb and safely detonated by a bomb squad. Another suspicious package was found at the Democratic National Convention but has not yet been identified.

America is so much better than what we're seeing today.
- Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) January 6, 2021

PBS reported that one person was shot in the chest inside the Capitol during clashes, but said their condition remains unclear. The person was reportedly shot by a law enforcement officer. Six people are reportedly in hospital with injuries.

Speaking as the chaos raged on, President-Elect Joe Biden called on Trump to go on national television, defend the U.S. constitution and "demand an end to this siege."

Trump ordered National Guard troops to the U.S. Capitol and told supporters who overwhelmed Capitol Police and stormed the halls of Congress, forcing debate on Biden's victory in the Electoral College to be suspended, to go home.

"We had an election that was stolen from us," Trump said in a video he tweeted more than two hours after a mob of supporters overtook the Capitol. "But you have to go home now. We have to have peace, we have to have law and order, we have to respect our great people in law and order."

Trump was condemned for giving a video statement urging protesters to go home, while at the same time repeating claims that the election was fraudulent. "I know how you feel," Trump told his backers.

"He simply won't do it. He's been furious at (Mike) Pence for refusing to do something he doesn't have power to do and that's that," wrote reporter Maggie Haberman on Twitter.

Trump had pressed Pence to throw out election results in states the president narrowly lost, though Pence has no authority to do so.

Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Chris Miller said on Wednesday the entire D.C. National Guard had been activated and he was prepared to provide additional support if requested by local authorities.

"We have fully activated the D.C. National Guard to assist federal and local law enforcement as they work to peacefully address the situation," Miller said.

Police evacuated the House of Representatives and the Senate after pro-Trump protesters marched through the halls of Congress, forcing both chambers to suspend deliberations as they were meeting to certify Biden's victory in the Nov. 3 election.

One protester occupied the Senate dais and yelled, "Trump won that election."

Video showed police deploying tear gas inside the building.

Police escorted House of Representatives members from the chamber where they had been debating after lawmakers aligned with Trump challenged the election results - an effort unlikely to succeed. The Senate abruptly adjourned and Pence, who had presided over a joint session of Congress, was escorted from the chamber.

Capitol Police told lawmakers in the House chamber to take gas masks from beneath their seats and prepare to put them on. Officers at the front door of the House chamber had their guns drawn as someone attempted to enter the chamber.

Officers ordered people in the chamber to drop to the floor for their safety.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg called the violent protests in Washington "shocking scenes" and said the outcome of the "democratic" U.S. election must be respected.

The chaotic scenes came after Trump addressed thousands of supporters near the White House, repeating his baseless claims that the election was stolen from him due to widespread fraud. Election officials of both parties and independent observers have said there was no significant fraud in the Nov. 3 contest, which Biden won by more than 7 million votes in the national popular vote.

The Department of Homeland Security told The Associated Press that Federal Protective Service and U.S. Secret Service officers were being sent to the Capitol. As well, local news reported that Gov. Ralph Northam of Virginia is sending the National Guard and 200 state troopers to Washington. Meanwhile, The Associated Press says a request for National Guard assistance from Washington is under review by the Pentagon.
WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT BELOW:

.@MittRomney summoned me as lawmakers and press arrived at a secure location

"This is what the president has caused today, this insurrection," he said w fury in his voice.
- Jonathan Martin (@jmartNYT) January 6, 2021

Weeks have passed since the states completed certifying that Biden, a Democrat, won the election by 306 Electoral College votes to Trump's 232. Trump's extraordinary challenges to Biden's victory have been rejected by courts across the country.

A short walk from the rally held by Trump, hundreds of his supporters overturned barricades and clashed with police on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol where Congress was meeting, clambering onto the structures erected for Biden's inauguration ceremony on Jan. 20 to unfurl Trump flags and gathering on the Capitol steps. Police used teargas and pepper spray on some of the protesters.

Trump, who has spent much of his time since the Nov. 3 election trying to overturn the results, falsely said he won the election as he spoke on an outdoor stage framing the White House, which Biden is due to move into in two weeks.

Crowds gathered at the "Save America March" wore Trump-approved red baseball caps and cheered as Trump repeated the groundless conspiracy theories that have consumed his final days in office - a period in which coronavirus infections have surged throughout the United States as the pandemic worsens.

"You don't concede when there's theft involved," Trump, a Republican, said after taking the stage following a playlist blasted over loudspeakers of power ballads by Elton John and Phil Collins. "Our country has had enough and we will not take it any more."

For more than an hour, he aired familiar grievances with the news media and Hillary Clinton, his Democratic rival from the 2016 election, and delighted the crowd by calling Democratic victories the product of what he called "explosions of bullshit."

"Bullshit! Bullshit! Bullshit!" the crowd chanted in reply. Most were not wearing the face masks urged by health experts to stem the spread of COVID-19, which has killed more than 350,000 Americans.

Weeks have passed since the states completed certifying that Biden, a Democrat, won the election by 306 Electoral College votes to Trump's 232, and Trump's extraordinary challenges to Biden's victory have floundered in courts across the country.

Congress was due to confirm Biden's victory on Wednesday. Many of Trump's fellow Republicans have promised a stonewalling effort that could stretch proceedings past midnight but was almost certain to fail.

Before matters were halted, Pence opened the proceedings in his constitutional role as president of the Senate. He said in a statement that while he shared the concerns about the "integrity" of the election, it was not correct that he should be able to accept or reject electoral votes unilaterally.

In his remarks at the rally, Trump repeatedly made clear his frustration with Pence if he didn't stop Congress from certifying the result.

"Mike Pence, I hope you're going to stand up for the good of our Constitution and the good of our country," Trump said. "And if you're not, I'm going to be very disappointed in you, I will tell you right now."

Mike Pence didn't have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution, giving States a chance to certify a corrected set of facts, not the fraudulent or inaccurate ones which they were asked to previously certify. USA demands the truth!
- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2021

PROTESTS

Trump returned to the White House as some at the rally marched down Pennsylvania Avenue to join the protesters storming the U.S. Capitol grounds.

"Drain the swamp!" protesters chanted. "F**k Joe Biden!"

Members of militia groups and far-right groups, some in body armour, mingled with the crowds, and some government offices buildings were on high alert.

"I'm sheltering in place in my office," Haley Stevens, a Michigan congresswoman, wrote on Twitter. "The building next door has been evacuated. I can't believe I have to write this."

Washington police earlier banned from the city Enrique Tarrio, the leader of the Trump-supporting far-right group the Proud Boys, after he was arrested on Monday for destruction of property and possession of a firearm magazine.

Other members of the men's group, which espouses white nationalism, gathered at the U.S. Capitol.

Crowd control largely fell to the Metropolitan Police Department, which mobilized all 3,750 officers, the Capitol Police, the Park Police, the U.S. Secret Service, and more than 300 members of the city's National Guard, according to Washington police chief Robert Contee and other officials.

Police have told protesters not to bring their guns to Washington, which has some of the country's strictest gun laws and bans the open carrying of firearms.

On Tuesday evening, Trump supporters trying to reach Black Lives Matter Plaza near the White House were stopped by police in riot gear who used pepper spray and batons to drive them back. Police said a handful of their officers were injured in scuffles and 10 people were arrested from Tuesday into Wednesday morning, a police spokeswoman said.

The head of a major U.S. business group urged senior U.S. officials to consider removing Trump from office.

National Association of Manufacturers President and CEO Jay Timmons said Trump "incited violence in an attempt to retain power, and any elected leader defending him is violating their oath to the Constitution and rejecting democracy in favor of anarchy.... Vice President Pence, who was evacuated from the Capitol, should seriously consider working with the Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment to preserve democracy."

Trump has 14 days remaining in office before President-elect Joe Biden takes office on Jan. 20.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in a tweet described the scenes in the U.S. Congress as a "disgrace," saying the United States stood for democracy around the world and that was it was "vital" now that there should be a peaceful and orderly transfer of power.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said democracy's enemies would be cheered by scenes of violence at the United States Capitol, and he called on Trump to accept U.S. voters' decision.

In a Tweet posted after protesters stormed the seat of the U.S. legislature, Maas said the violence had been caused by inflammatory rhetoric. "Trump and his supporters must accept the decision of American voters at last and stop trampling on democracy."
- with files from Bloomberg

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Live: One shot as U.S. Capitol locked down; Biden calls on Trump to 'end this siege'

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Police evacuated the House of Representatives and the Senate after pro-Trump protesters marched through the halls of Congress WASHINGTON - Police in the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday responded with drawn guns and tear gas on Wednesday as swarms of protesters stormed in and sought to force Congress to undo President Donald Trump's election loss shortly after some of Trump's fellow Republicans launched a last-ditch effort to throw out the results.

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What happened is considered domestic terrorism.

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What Americans saw on television Wednesday was not peaceful protest.

It was a riot by supporters of outgoing President Donald Trump. They swarmed streets leading to the U.S. Capitol. They stormed the symbol of our democracy, knocked down security barriers and overpowered riot police. Then they ransacked the legislative chambers while senators and members of Congress took refuge wherever they could.

As of press time, one of the rioters has died of a gunshot wound; several other people were injured.

It was a security breach that overwhelmed Capitol Police, who were in a standoff with remnants of the mob well into the evening.

The unbelievable scene smacked of violence and vandalism. It also could be called domestic terrorism, intended to undermine what always has been a peaceful transfer of power in this country.

Earlier in the day, a joint session of Congress was working to certify Electoral College votes, state by state, in what normally is a genteel constitutional formality.

Some Republicans were trying to slow the process in yet another attempt to reverse an election result they didn't like.

The world has witnessed the shameful acts inside those chambers and out, as a sitting president unleashed violent extremists on the nation's capital.

U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, was in his office in the Rayburn House Office Building, across Independence Avenue from the Capitol.

He said his staff was directed to shelter in place.

He was unflinching in his assessment of Wednesday's events.

"The president of the United States inspired a coup attempt," Castro said. "I've been in public service for 18 years, serving the people of San Antonio. This is the most bizarre, chaotic thing I've witnessed as a public official."

Those involved have First Amendment rights to protest, the congressman said, but those who have committed illegal acts should be prosecuted.

Castro said he hoped "order can be restored."

After inciting them in person and on Twitter earlier in the day, Trump went to the airwaves to ask his supporters to "go home," while repeating unfounded claims of election fraud.

His is an alternate reality in which only he benefits from calling the election "rigged."

The president's words from the fall campaign echoed amid the rioting.

In September, during a nationally televised debate, he addressed a white supremacist group called the Proud Boys. Challenged to repudiate the group, Trump instead called on its members to "stand back and stand by."

Law enforcement investigations will determine who initiated or encouraged the riot, and whether the Proud Boys were involved.

Castro pointed to both Trump and his "enablers," singling out U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, "who encouraged people to come here and behave in this way."

"Ted Cruz should resign immediately," Castro said.

Those who've violated laws should be prosecuted, he added, pointing to those who "stormed" the Capitol "and made threats against the Capitol Police and others."

Castro didn't directly address the issue of race in the incident. But it was impossible to ignore.

A march by menacing white demonstrators didn't trigger an aggressive police response. The contrast with how police have treated people of color during some peaceful protests was unmistakable.

On June 1, amid protests over the death of George Floyd, law enforcement officers tear-gassed peaceful demonstrators in Lafayette Park near the White House so Trump could walk to St. John's Episcopal Church and pose for a photo op holding a Bible.

Before rioters reached the Capitol on Wednesday, there was an air of joyfulness in the crowd. Smiling faces could be seen, because hardly any were wearing masks.

It was eerie, as is the alternative reality that brought them to Washington.

There will be an accounting for this attack on Washington, on government and on the transfer of power.

Arrests will be made. Some even may go to prison for their acts.

Politicians, too, will be held to account for what they did and didn't do, none more than the outgoing president.

For the past four years, he has fueled anger, racism and grievance.

President-elect Joe Biden was right to say democracy was "under an unprecedented assault" on Wednesday.

His appeals for decency and unity brought a semblance of hope. He said the mob represented a small number of extremists, not the country.

Many Americans feared this would happen someday. Now it will forever define Trump's legacy and that of his enablers.

Though the scenes were scary, we are not scared. Still, Jan. 20 can't come soon enough.

eayala@express-news.net

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Ayala: 'Ted Cruz should resign immediately,' said San Antonio Congressman Joaquin Castro

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What Americans saw on television Wednesday was not peaceful protest. It was a riot by supporters of outgoing President Donald Trump. They swarmed streets leading to the U.S. Capitol. They stormed the symbol of our democracy, knocked down security barriers and overpowered riot police.

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Leaders from around the world are speaking about this matter in negative ways

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James Frater,Angela Dewan,Jessie Yeung,Tara John

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World leaders condemn ‘horrifying’ riot at US Capitol building | CNN

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As America’s allies issued strong condemnations of rioters who stormed the US Capitol building in Washington on Wednesday, the nation’s geopolitical foes used last night’s events to question the efficacy of democracy.

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Chaos

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I wonder why these trump supporters, usually very privileged people are fighting so hard for Trump when a democratic president would not take their rights away, only give rights to other people

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Why the protestors should just damage property in their own Capitol building, and after all that damage how did it get cleaned up that quick?

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One woman found dead during the protest and rioting

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I wonder why something that hasn't happened since 1814 happened again in 2021, and if there was any clear/specific reason for causing this (White House riots) to happen. I am curious why Trump's supporters have to do so to inform their position. Did the government discuss any follow-up measures?

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"The president gave his supporters a boost into action Wednesday morning at a rally outside the White House, where he urged them to march to the Capitol. He spent much of the afternoon in his private dining room off the Oval Office watching scenes of the violence on television. At the urging of his staff, he reluctantly issued a pair of tweets and a taped video telling his supporters it was time to “go home in peace” - yet he still said he backed their cause."
https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/america-votes/electoral-college-count-continues-after-u-s-capitol-siege-1.5255345

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the mayor of Washington dc gave the city a curfew.

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What you need to know

Congress affirmed President-elect Joe Biden's victory after pro-Trump rioters stormed the US Capitol.

The Senate and House rejected objections to throw out Georgia and Pennsylvania's electoral votes for Biden.

Certification proceedings were halted when the riot began. A woman was shot and killed on the Capitol grounds during the riot, DC police said.

Our live coverage of today's events has moved here.

43 min ago
Trump pledges an "orderly" transfer of power to Biden

Following a formal affirmation of President-elect Joe Biden's Electoral College victory, President Trump said the decision "represents the end of the greatest first term in presidential history."

"Even though I totally disagree with the outcome of the election, and the facts bear me out, nevertheless there will be an orderly transition on January 20th," Trump said in a statement.

"I have always said we would continue our fight to ensure that only legal votes were counted. While this represents the end of the greatest first term in presidential history, it's only the beginning of our fight to Make America Great Again," Trump said while repeating false claims about the election that incited a mob to storm the Capitol.
CNN's Kaitlin Collins has more:

52 min ago
Following violent day, Senate chaplain delivers powerful prayer concluding joint session proceedings

From CNN's Josiah Ryan

Senate Chaplain Barry Black delivered a powerful prayer just moments after Congress had affirmed President-elect Joe Biden's Electoral College victory, condemning the "desecration" of the Capitol building and reminding lawmakers of the weight of their words and actions.

"We deplore the desecration of the United States Capitol Building, the shedding of innocent blood, the loss of life, and the quagmire of dysfunction that threaten our democracy," he said.

"These tragedies have reminded us that words matter and that the power of life and death is in the tongue," he continued. "We have been warned that eternal vigilance continues to be freedom's price."
Read his prayer:

"Lord of our lives and sovereign of our beloved nation, we deplore the desecration of the United States Capitol building, the shedding of innocent blood, the loss of life, and the quagmire of dysfunction that threaten our democracy.
These tragedies have reminded us that words matter and that the power of life and death is in the tongue. We have been warned that eternal vigilance continues to be freedom's price.
Lord, you have helped us remember that we need to see in each other a common humanity that reflects your image.
You have strengthened our resolve to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies domestic as well as foreign.
Use us to bring healing and unity to our hurting and divided nation and world. Thank you for what you have blessed our lawmakers to accomplish in spite of threats to liberty.
Bless and keep us. Drive far from us all wrong desires, incline our hearts to do your will and guide our feet on the path of peace. And God bless America. We pray in your sovereign name, amen."

Watch:

33 min ago
Congress affirms Biden's Electoral College victory

Congress has just affirmed President-elect Joe Biden's Electoral College victory over President Trump.

The counting of Vermont's three electoral votes put Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris over the 270-threshold needed to win the presidency.

The Senate and House rejected objections to throw out Georgia and Pennsylvania's electoral votes for Biden. Republicans also objected to Arizona, Nevada and Michigan's electoral votes, but the motions failed before they reached debate.

"The announcement of the state of the vote by the President of the Senate shall be deemed a sufficient declaration of the persons elected President and Vice President of the United States, each for the term beginning on the 20th day of January 2021 and shall be entered together with the list of the votes on the journals of the Senate and the House of Representatives," Pence said following the count of all of the state's Electoral College votes.

The certification comes after pro-Trump rioters stormed the US Capitol earlier Wednesday.

The joint session of Congress, which is normally a ceremonial step, was halted for several hours when rioters breached the Capitol.

Proceedings resumed at about 8 p.m. ET with Vice President Mike Pence, bringing the Senate session back into order.

"Let's get back to work," Pence said.
Watch the moment Pence announced the results:

1 hr 34 min ago
Joint session to count electoral votes resumes

Congress has reconvened in a joint session to continue to count electoral votes after the Senate and House rejected objections to throw out Pennsylvania's votes for President-elect Joe Biden.

Four lawmakers designated as "tellers" - two from the House and two from the Senate - will continue to read the certificates of vote from each state. There are 12 states to go.

The votes are read in alphabetical order.

We expect Wisconsin to be challenged in the House, but there will not be a senatorial signatory to it.

1 hr 44 min ago
The House just rejected an objection to Pennsylvania's electoral vote

From CNN's Kristin Wilson

The House voted to reject an objection to throw out Pennsylvania's Electoral College votes for President-elect Joe Biden. The challenge failed by a vote of 282-138.

The measure was also dismissed in the Senate, with a 92-7 vote tally.

The House and the Senate will now reconvene in a joint session to continue to count the remaining Electoral College votes. Track the electoral vote count here.

Pennsylvania will be the last state that will be debated. We expect Wisconsin to be challenged in the House, but there will not be a senatorial signatory to it.

There are 12 states to go.

Remember: Any further objections must be made in writing and backed both by a member of the House of Representatives and a senator, from any state.

Objections that are entertained by the chair - that's Vice President Mike Pence, whose duties include serving as president of the Senate - will force both the House and Senate to withdraw for debate in each chamber, which will be capped at a maximum of two hours.

1 hr 51 min ago
Congressman announces he's positive for Covid-19 four hours after voting on House floor

From CNN's Kristin Wilson and Daniella Diaz

GOP Rep. Jake LaTurner of Kansas has announced via Twitter that he has Covid-19. He is not experiencing any symptoms, according to the tweet.

He voted in person four hours ago on the House floor per this vote tally.
See his tweets:

2 hr 25 min ago
House is voting now on objection to Pennsylvania's electoral votes

The House just wrapped up its debate over an objection on Pennsylvania's electoral votes for President-elect Joe Biden.

The objection is expected to fail. It already failed in the Senate, the vote was 92-7.

1 hr 54 min ago
2 House members confronted each other during the Pennsylvania objection debate. Here's what happened.

From CNN's Kristin Wilson and Daniella Diaz

Two members of the House confronted each other on the House floor over a push to strike another members' remarks from the record.

It began when Rep. Morgan Griffith, a Republican from Virginia, objected to what Pennsylvania Democrat Rep. Conor Lamb said during the Pennsylvania Electoral College challenge debate.

This is what Lamb said that led to GOP members objecting:

"Enough has been done today here today already to try to strip this Congress of its dignity and these objectors don't need to do anymore. We know that that attack today, it didn't materialize out of nowhere, it was inspired by lies, the same lies that you're hearing in this room tonight. And the members who are repeating those lies should be ashamed of themselves, their constituents should be ashamed of them," he said.

Rep. Andy Harris and Rep. Colin Allred yelled at each other to "sit down" "no, you sit down!" from across the floor.

They both then confronted each other in the aisle. At least a dozen other members bench cleared from their sides. Rep. Al Lawson of Florida, Jamie Raskin of Maryland, and a senior Democratic staffer helped break up the confrontation.

According to CNN's Kristin Wilson, who was in the room, the situation diffused fairly quickly but tensions were high.

The deputy Sergeant-at-Arms showed up in the scrum.
Watch the moment:

2 hr 36 min ago
Trump "committed a mortal crime against the republic," former GOP congressman says

From CNN's Leinz Vales

Former Republican Rep. Charlie Dent expressed his disgust Wednesday over rioters who stormed the US Capitol building and President Trump's rhetoric that helped sparked the unrest.

"He's committed a mortal crime against the republic," Dent said. "He should have resigned over this, but he won't, of course."

In an interview with CNN's Chris Cuomo and Don Lemon, the former Pennsylvania lawmaker conveyed his anger with a pro-Trump rioter carrying a Confederate flag inside the Capitol building, calling it a "desecration."

"I always proudly took my constituents to a plaque right by the east-front Capitol, right by the front door. It's a plaque dedicated to the honorary first defenders from Allentown, Pennsylvania, in Redding, Pennsylvania ... who went to the Capitol, at the call of Abraham Lincoln, to defend the Capitol during the Civil War. ... The confederates never got there. They were there to protect against the rebellion. And here we are, watching Confederate flags running through the Capitol. To see this desecration to me, it's so upsetting as an American, as a Republican. How could this happen?"

What you need to know

Congress affirmed President-elect Joe Biden's victory after pro-Trump rioters stormed the US Capitol.

The Senate and House rejected objections to throw out Georgia and Pennsylvania's electoral votes for Biden.

Certification proceedings were halted when the riot began. A woman was shot and killed on the Capitol grounds during the riot, DC police said.

Our live coverage of today's events has moved here.

43 min ago
Trump pledges an "orderly" transfer of power to Biden

Following a formal affirmation of President-elect Joe Biden's Electoral College victory, President Trump said the decision "represents the end of the greatest first term in presidential history."

"Even though I totally disagree with the outcome of the election, and the facts bear me out, nevertheless there will be an orderly transition on January 20th," Trump said in a statement.

"I have always said we would continue our fight to ensure that only legal votes were counted. While this represents the end of the greatest first term in presidential history, it's only the beginning of our fight to Make America Great Again," Trump said while repeating false claims about the election that incited a mob to storm the Capitol.
CNN's Kaitlin Collins has more:

52 min ago
Following violent day, Senate chaplain delivers powerful prayer concluding joint session proceedings

From CNN's Josiah Ryan

Senate Chaplain Barry Black delivered a powerful prayer just moments after Congress had affirmed President-elect Joe Biden's Electoral College victory, condemning the "desecration" of the Capitol building and reminding lawmakers of the weight of their words and actions.

"We deplore the desecration of the United States Capitol Building, the shedding of innocent blood, the loss of life, and the quagmire of dysfunction that threaten our democracy," he said.

"These tragedies have reminded us that words matter and that the power of life and death is in the tongue," he continued. "We have been warned that eternal vigilance continues to be freedom's price."
Read his prayer:

"Lord of our lives and sovereign of our beloved nation, we deplore the desecration of the United States Capitol building, the shedding of innocent blood, the loss of life, and the quagmire of dysfunction that threaten our democracy.
These tragedies have reminded us that words matter and that the power of life and death is in the tongue. We have been warned that eternal vigilance continues to be freedom's price.
Lord, you have helped us remember that we need to see in each other a common humanity that reflects your image.
You have strengthened our resolve to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies domestic as well as foreign.
Use us to bring healing and unity to our hurting and divided nation and world. Thank you for what you have blessed our lawmakers to accomplish in spite of threats to liberty.
Bless and keep us. Drive far from us all wrong desires, incline our hearts to do your will and guide our feet on the path of peace. And God bless America. We pray in your sovereign name, amen."

Watch:

33 min ago
Congress affirms Biden's Electoral College victory

Congress has just affirmed President-elect Joe Biden's Electoral College victory over President Trump.

The counting of Vermont's three electoral votes put Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris over the 270-threshold needed to win the presidency.

The Senate and House rejected objections to throw out Georgia and Pennsylvania's electoral votes for Biden. Republicans also objected to Arizona, Nevada and Michigan's electoral votes, but the motions failed before they reached debate.

"The announcement of the state of the vote by the President of the Senate shall be deemed a sufficient declaration of the persons elected President and Vice President of the United States, each for the term beginning on the 20th day of January 2021 and shall be entered together with the list of the votes on the journals of the Senate and the House of Representatives," Pence said following the count of all of the state's Electoral College votes.

The certification comes after pro-Trump rioters stormed the US Capitol earlier Wednesday.

The joint session of Congress, which is normally a ceremonial step, was halted for several hours when rioters breached the Capitol.

Proceedings resumed at about 8 p.m. ET with Vice President Mike Pence, bringing the Senate session back into order.

"Let's get back to work," Pence said.
Watch the moment Pence announced the results:

1 hr 34 min ago
Joint session to count electoral votes resumes

Congress has reconvened in a joint session to continue to count electoral votes after the Senate and House rejected objections to throw out Pennsylvania's votes for President-elect Joe Biden.

Four lawmakers designated as "tellers" - two from the House and two from the Senate - will continue to read the certificates of vote from each state. There are 12 states to go.

The votes are read in alphabetical order.

We expect Wisconsin to be challenged in the House, but there will not be a senatorial signatory to it.

1 hr 44 min ago
The House just rejected an objection to Pennsylvania's electoral vote

From CNN's Kristin Wilson

The House voted to reject an objection to throw out Pennsylvania's Electoral College votes for President-elect Joe Biden. The challenge failed by a vote of 282-138.

The measure was also dismissed in the Senate, with a 92-7 vote tally.

The House and the Senate will now reconvene in a joint session to continue to count the remaining Electoral College votes. Track the electoral vote count here.

Pennsylvania will be the last state that will be debated. We expect Wisconsin to be challenged in the House, but there will not be a senatorial signatory to it.

There are 12 states to go.

Remember: Any further objections must be made in writing and backed both by a member of the House of Representatives and a senator, from any state.

Objections that are entertained by the chair - that's Vice President Mike Pence, whose duties include serving as president of the Senate - will force both the House and Senate to withdraw for debate in each chamber, which will be capped at a maximum of two hours.

1 hr 51 min ago
Congressman announces he's positive for Covid-19 four hours after voting on House floor

From CNN's Kristin Wilson and Daniella Diaz

GOP Rep. Jake LaTurner of Kansas has announced via Twitter that he has Covid-19. He is not experiencing any symptoms, according to the tweet.

He voted in person four hours ago on the House floor per this vote tally.
See his tweets:

2 hr 25 min ago
House is voting now on objection to Pennsylvania's electoral votes

The House just wrapped up its debate over an objection on Pennsylvania's electoral votes for President-elect Joe Biden.

The objection is expected to fail. It already failed in the Senate, the vote was 92-7.

1 hr 54 min ago
2 House members confronted each other during the Pennsylvania objection debate. Here's what happened.

From CNN's Kristin Wilson and Daniella Diaz

Two members of the House confronted each other on the House floor over a push to strike another members' remarks from the record.

It began when Rep. Morgan Griffith, a Republican from Virginia, objected to what Pennsylvania Democrat Rep. Conor Lamb said during the Pennsylvania Electoral College challenge debate.

This is what Lamb said that led to GOP members objecting:

"Enough has been done today here today already to try to strip this Congress of its dignity and these objectors don't need to do anymore. We know that that attack today, it didn't materialize out of nowhere, it was inspired by lies, the same lies that you're hearing in this room tonight. And the members who are repeating those lies should be ashamed of themselves, their constituents should be ashamed of them," he said.

Rep. Andy Harris and Rep. Colin Allred yelled at each other to "sit down" "no, you sit down!" from across the floor.

They both then confronted each other in the aisle. At least a dozen other members bench cleared from their sides. Rep. Al Lawson of Florida, Jamie Raskin of Maryland, and a senior Democratic staffer helped break up the confrontation.

According to CNN's Kristin Wilson, who was in the room, the situation diffused fairly quickly but tensions were high.

The deputy Sergeant-at-Arms showed up in the scrum.
Watch the moment:

2 hr 36 min ago
Trump "committed a mortal crime against the republic," former GOP congressman says

From CNN's Leinz Vales

Former Republican Rep. Charlie Dent expressed his disgust Wednesday over rioters who stormed the US Capitol building and President Trump's rhetoric that helped sparked the unrest.

"He's committed a mortal crime against the republic," Dent said. "He should have resigned over this, but he won't, of course."

In an interview with CNN's Chris Cuomo and Don Lemon, the former Pennsylvania lawmaker conveyed his anger with a pro-Trump rioter carrying a Confederate flag inside the Capitol building, calling it a "desecration."

"I always proudly took my constituents to a plaque right by the east-front Capitol, right by the front door. It's a plaque dedicated to the honorary first defenders from Allentown, Pennsylvania, in Redding, Pennsylvania ... who went to the Capitol, at the call of Abraham Lincoln, to defend the Capitol during the Civil War. ... The confederates never got there. They were there to protect against the rebellion. And here we are, watching Confederate flags running through the Capitol. To see this desecration to me, it's so upsetting as an American, as a Republican. How could this happen?"

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january 6 electoral vote count and protest news

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By Meg Wagner, Melissa Macaya, Mike Hayes, Melissa Mahtani, Veronica Rocha and Fernando Alfonso III, CNN

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January 6 electoral vote count and protest news

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What you need to know Congress affirmed President-elect Joe Biden's victory after pro-Trump rioters stormed the US Capitol. The Senate and House rejected objections to throw out Georgia and Pennsylvania's electoral votes for Biden. Certification proceedings were halted when the riot began. A woman was shot and killed on the Capitol grounds during the riot, DC police said.

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Why don't they realize that they should stop. One of there rioters died.

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I want to know if after this when biden is in office he is going to take this as an example of why the police system should be fixed and how the funding should go from weapons, to more and better training.

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I wonder how many people were in the riot, how much security do they have surrounding the Whitehouse preventing this from happening, and who was in the Whitehouse.

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What's the benefit for everybody who protested? The election ended in November🤦‍♂️

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Why the people that are protesting have to be so violent? Can’t they settle this another way?

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Pandemonium

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Protesters climbed a wall outside the Capitol during a rally in support of President Donald Trump.

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one woman found dead during the rioting

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US Capitol quiet after night of unprecedented assault: 4 dead, 52 arrested, FBI seeking information

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WASHINGTON - A U.S. Capitol Police officer died Thursday after being injured when supporters of President Donald Trump raided the Capitol building on Wednesday, bringing the total number of fatalities to five.

Brian D. Sicknick "was injured while physically engaging with protesters" on Wednesday, USCP said in a statement. He returned to his division office and collapsed, then was taken to a local hospital where he died Thursday evening.

"The death of Officer Sicknick will be investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department's Homicide Branch, the USCP, and our federal partners," the USCP said in a statement.

Sicknick had been with the USCP since July 2008, and most recently served in the department's First Responders Unit, officials said in a statement.

Reps. Rosa DeLauro and Tim Ryan released a statement late Thursday calling for the "mob who attacked the People's House" to be held accountable.

"Our hearts break over the senseless death of United States Capitol Police Officer Brian D. Sicknick, who was injured in the line of duty during yesterday's violent assault on the Capitol," they said in a statement. "Our prayers are with his family, friends, and colleagues on the force.
'Double standard': Black lawmakers, activists decry police response to attack
They added: "This tragic loss should remind all of us of the bravery of the law enforcement officers who protected us, our colleagues, congressional staff, the press corps, and other essential workers yesterday."

Before sunrise Thursday, the lawn in front of the Capitol was nearly deserted and silent, a stark contrast from the cheering and chanting of Wednesday's massive crowd that eventually devolved into chaos.

Thursday showed little evidence of the pro-Trump mob that breached the U.S. Capitol, forcing the certification of President-elect Joe Biden's victory to be postponed in an attack that left four demonstrators dead.

The Washington Post reported several dozen people arrested Wednesday made first appearances in court Thursday.

Also Thursday, U.S. Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund, whose department was severely criticized for its flawed response to Wednesday's attack, resigned abruptly.
What happened? How a Trump mob stormed the Capitol forcing DC into lockdown
The Associated Press reported the Capitol Police turned down offers of help to deal with pro-Trump protesters from not one but two law enforcement agencies, opting to treat Wednesday's rally as if it were a free speech demonstration.

The lack of preparation and support allowed rioters to breach the Capitol building with little resistance, endangering legislators and resulting in a mob scene that sent shudders throughout the world.

Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser was among several critics who called the police's actions "a failure." Many others pointed out the police response to the rioters was much less robust than the massive show of force in place for Black Lives Matter protests last year over law enforcement killings of unarmed Black men and women.

Republic of Palau, FSM condemn riot

The Republic of Palau and the Federated States of Micronesia are condemning the riots that took place at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday.

Thousands of rioters gathered at the National Mall. At a campaign-style rally about an hour before the mob broke through police lines at the Capitol, Trump had urged them to go to the building. A Palau flag can be seen in a video being shared on social media from the riot at the Capitol building.
- Jerick Sablan, Pacific Daily News
"Peaceful demonstrations are part of democracy, and every person has the right to speak up and participate in that process. This includes thousands of Palauans and Americans of Palauan heritage who call America home," Hersey Kyota, ambassador of Palau to the U.S., said. "However, the flag of the Republic of Palau has no place in the disorder and unlawful act that took place at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C."

FSM President David Panuelo in a letter said the people of the FSM woke up to watch in horror as President Donald Trump openly solicited acts of domestic terrorism against the people and government of the U.S.

FBI offers $50K reward for information on pipe bomb suspect

The FBI released a photo of a suspect and offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to the location, arrest and conviction of the person or people responsible for pipe bombs found at the RNC and DNC headquarters on Wednesday.

The person in the photo released by the FBI's Washington field office is masked, wearing a hoodie and gloves.

The FBI previously said it was "seeking information that will assist in identifying individuals who are actively instigating violence in Washington, D.C." The agency said it was looking for tips and recordings depicting the rioting and violence.

"If you have witnessed unlawful violent actions, we urge you to submit any information, photos, or videos that could be relevant at fbi.gov/USCapitol," the agency said.

Casualties, injuries and arrests

D.C. Police Chief Robert Contee said that, in addition to the woman shot by Capitol police, two men and one woman died in "separate medical emergencies." At least 14 of Contee's officers were injured during the demonstrations, he said. Two pipe bombs were recovered, one at the Democratic National Committee and the other one at the Republican National Committee.

Police identified the woman shot and killed during the riot as Ashli Babbitt, 35, of San Diego, who was a military veteran. The other three who perished were Benjamin Phillips, 50, from Ringtown, Pennsylvania; Kevin Greeson, 55, from Athens, Alabama; and Rosanne Boyland, 34, from Kennesaw, Georgia. Contee said Thursday all three died on Capitol grounds, but he didn't specify how.

Graphic videos of the shooting show Babbitt wore a Trump flag as a cape as she tried to crawl through a broken window, flanked by other protesters. A single shot rang out, and she fell to the floor bleeding from an apparent neck wound.

Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund, who resigned later in the day, said protesters had been "forcing their way toward the House Chamber where members of Congress were sheltering in place" when the shooting took place. Babbitt later died at a hospital, Sund said. The officer has been placed on administrative leave.

Police made at least 68 arrests, 41 of of them on Capitol grounds, Contee said. Only one of those detained was from D.C., he said.

The effort to identify more culprits was underway. Contee was making photos available on the police website and other police organizations.

Fleeing home won't save the violators. The U.S. Attorney for Rhode Island vowed to prosecute anyone who traveled from Rhode Island to commit crimes in Washington. The office of U.S. Attorney Aaron Weisman tweeted that "anyone who did so can expect to be prosecuted in Rhode Island to the fullest extent of federal law."

West Virginia lawmaker filmed himself storming Capitol

A first-term West Virginia legislator is being urged to resign after video he took himself shows him joining other Trump supporters in storming the Capitol on Wednesday.
What is sedition? US Capitol breach was 'almost textbook' example, legal expert says What to do about that pit in your stomach in this terrifying American moment Why the 25th Amendment continues to be raised to remove Trump from power Contributing: Christal Hayes, Ryan W. Miller, Dennis Wagner, Melissa Daniels, Grace Hauck, Kevin Johnson, Jorge L. Ortiz, Trevor Hughes, Grace Hauck, Will Carless, USA TODAY; The Associated Press
Republican Del. Derrick Evans is seen on the video, since deleted from his social media account, wearing a helmet and clamoring at the door that was breached after Congress met to try to vote to affirm Joe Biden's election victory. Evans then made it inside and milled around the Capitol Rotunda.

About 10,000 people signed an online petition calling for him to be removed from office.

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DC riots updates: Capitol Police officer dies from injuries; FBI offers $50K reward for pipe bomb suspect info

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A U.S. Capitol Police officer died after being injured when Trump supporters raided the Capitol building Wednesday, bringing the death toll to five.

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How did they break in with all that security?

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Pro-Donald Trump supporters in Washington DC broke into the Capitol building, attacking police, smashing windows and knocking down doors as Congress was expected to vote to affirm Joe Biden's 2020 presidential win.

Rioters made it into the House Chambers, where US lawmakers had to be evacuated, and also into the offices of some officials.

So how did they get pass heavily-guarded police and into the building?

LIVE UPDATES: Read our blog as police move in on pro-Trump protesters in Washington DC.

Some Capitol police let people through barricades

Remarkable vision emerged online of police opening barricades to let people walk towards Capitol Hill.

Unconfirmed vision that was live streamed on social media also showed police guards inside the Capitol taking photos with some protesters.

Read more about the fallout from the US election:

Protesters came prepared with riot gear

Videos posted online also showed protesters fighting with Capitol police officers as police fired pepper spray to keep them back.

But some protesters brought a dispersing spray of their own.

Many were also seen wearing gas masks and protective helmets.

Crowd antics ramped up when people began storming police lines on Capitol Hill and smashing windows.

In one video a protester is seen smashing a window with what appears to be a police shield.

Crowds gathered to ambush entrances of the building, pushing guards out of the way.

Others dispersed around the front of the Capitol and some climbed scaffolding and banged on windows.

They shoved into the Capitol's corridors and quickly made their way up multiple levels of the building and into the Senate chambers.
Capitol police seemed to be outnumbered.
The White House said National Guard troops along with other federal protective services were sent the Capitol to help end the violent occupation.

Armed FBI agents were also seen wearing bullet-proof vests on the streets of Washington.

Once they got inside, guns were drawn

In the House Chamber, guards were forced to barricade the entrance and draw their guns as protesters attempted to break in.

One woman was shot and died, but it remains unclear how the incident unfolded.

Despite the police presence inside, a protester made it into the office of House speaker, Nancy Pelosi.

One man managed to sit at her desk and rest his feet on it.

The same man also made it back outside the Capitol building.

Protesters eventually entered the House Chamber and posed in front of the Speaker's chair while holding American flags.

Other people also began looting.

Some protesters walked freely out of the building observed closely by guards.

Order began to be restored when more national guards showed up to enforce a 6:00pm curfew in the city.

Heavy force and tear gas pushed people back from the steps of the Capitol.
ABC/AP

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It's one of Washington DC's most secure buildings, so how did Trump protesters get into the Capitol?

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Pro-Donald Trump supporters in Washington DC broke into the Capitol building, attacking police, smashing windows and knocking down doors as Congress was expected to vote to affirm Joe Biden's 2020 presidential win. Rioters made it into the House Chambers, where US lawmakers had to be evacuated, and also into the offices of some officials.

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4 people died during the violence

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The House has voted overwhelmingly to reject an objection to President-elect Joe Biden's win in Arizona, joining the Senate in upholding the results of the election there.

The objection failed 303-121 on Wednesday night, with only Republicans voting in support.

Earlier Wednesday, supporters of President Donald Trump breached the U.S. Capitol, forcing a lockdown of the lawmakers and staff inside. Trump has claimed widespread voter fraud to explain away his defeat to Biden, though election officials have said there wasn't any.

Now that Arizona is out of the way, Congress will reconvene as the joint session and make its way through the rest of the states that have objections.

Four people died as supporters of President Donald Trump violently occupied the U.S. Capitol.

Washington, D.C., Police Chief Robert Contee said the dead on Wednesday included a woman who was shot by the U.S. Capitol Police, as well as three others who died in "medical emergencies."

Police said both law enforcement and Trump supporters deployed chemical irritants during the hourslong occupation of the Capitol building before it was cleared Wednesday evening by law enforcement.

The woman was shot earlier Wednesday as the mob tried to break through a barricaded door in the Capitol where police were armed on the other side. She was hospitalized with a gunshot wound and later died.

D.C. police officials also say two pipe bombs were recovered, one outside the Democratic National Committee and one outside the Republican National Committee. Police found a cooler from a vehicle that had a long gun and Molotov cocktail on Capitol grounds.

The Senate has overwhelmingly turned aside a challenge to President-elect Joe Biden's victory in Arizona, guaranteeing the result will stand.

The objection to the results in Arizona -- spearheaded by Rep. Paul Gosar and Sen. Ted Cruz -- was rejected 93-6 on Wednesday night. All votes in favor came from Republicans, but after violent protesters mobbed the Capitol earlier Wednesday a number of GOP senators who had planned to support the objection reversed course.

The Republicans raised the objection based on false claims pushed by President Donald Trump and others of issues with the vote in Arizona, which were repeatedly dismissed in Arizona's courts and by the state's election officials.

Sen. Lindsey Graham says a commission to examine the 2020 election is not a proper next step and affirmed that Joe Biden is the "legitimate president of the United States."

Graham, a South Carolina Republican and longtime ally of President Donald Trump, called it a "uniquely bad idea to delay this election," referencing the commission idea proposed by his fellow South Carolina Republican, U.S. Sen. Tim Scott.

Graham says, "Count me out. Enough is enough."

Earlier Wednesday, supporters of Trump breached the U.S. Capitol, forcing a lockdown of the lawmakers and staff inside. Trump has claimed widespread voter fraud to explain away his defeat to President-elect Joe Biden, though election officials have said there wasn't any.

Graham said that "if you're a conservative," the idea that Vice President Mike Pence could reverse the results of the election, as President Donald Trump had urged him to do, was "the most offensive concept in the world."

Police have arrested 30 people for violating a curfew imposed in Washington, D.C., after rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol.

Officials say the 30 people were arrested Wednesday evening after being found on the streets after the 6 p.m.

The curfew had been imposed after scores of supporters of President Donald Trump broke into the Capitol, halting the constitutional process of voting to certify President-elect Joe Biden's win. They were later forcibly removed from the Capitol.

The Metropolitan Police Department said 15 other people had been arrested on Tuesday and Wednesday in various protest-related arrests on an array of charges, including weapons possession and assault.

Fire officials also took 13 people to area hospitals on Wednesday from protest-related injuries.

Republican Sen. Josh Hawley says he is going forward with his objection to the Electoral College results in Pennsylvania despite the violent breach at the Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump.

The Missouri senator said he did not support violence but said the Senate should go forward with a legal process that includes his objections.

Hawley says his objections should be debated "peacefully, without violence, without attacks, without bullets." He says he hoped lawmakers would not brush his concerns aside because of the violence earlier Wednesday, including the death of a protester inside the Capitol.

Trump has claimed widespread voter fraud to explain away his defeat to President-elect Joe Biden, though election officials have said there wasn't any.

House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy is comparing violence at the U.S. Capitol to protests against racial injustice over the summer after the killing of George Floyd by police.

The U.S. Capitol was overrun by a mob supportive of President Donald Trump on Wednesday as Congress counted electoral votes to confirm President-elect Joe Biden's win. Trump has falsely said there was widespread fraud in the election to explain his defeat and encouraged his supporters to come to Washington.

McCarthy said, "Mobs don't rule America. Laws rule America. It was true when our cities were burning this summer and it is true now."

The comment got loud applause from Republicans. Democrats in the chamber sat silently.

Floyd, a Black man who was handcuffed, was killed in May after a white police officer pressed his knee against Floyd's neck for several minutes even after he said he couldn't breathe.

McCarthy, an ally of Trump's, said Wednesday was the "saddest day" he's ever had in Congress.

He said: "It is clear this Congress will not be the same after today."

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says Congress' certification of President-elect Joe Biden's election win will show the world it won't back down.

Pelosi made her comments as the House reconvened after being shut down for hours Wednesday by unruly pro-Trump protesters. She said that every four years the ritual provides an example to the world of American democracy.

Pelosi says, "Despite the shameful actions of today, we will still do so, we will be part of a history that shows the world what America is made of."

Pelosi, a Roman Catholic, noted that Wednesday is the feast of the Epiphany and prayed that the violence would be "an epiphany to heal" for the country.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is sending 1,000 members of the state's National Guard to Washington, D.C., to help "the peaceful transition of presidential power."

Cuomo, a Democrat, said 1,000 troops would be sent for up to two weeks at the request of U.S. National Guard officials. It comes after a mob of President Donald Trump's supporters rampaged through the U.S. Capitol.

Cuomo said in a statement Wednesday: "For 244 years, the cornerstone of our democracy has been the peaceful transfer of power, and New York stands ready to help ensure the will of the American people is carried out, safely and decisively."

They will join law enforcement from Virginia, Maryland and New Jersey who are also coming to D.C.'s aid.

The president's supporters incited chaos in a protest over a transfer of power to President-elect Joe Biden. Trump convinced them that he was cheated out of a victory by rampant, widespread voter fraud, a false claim.

Multiple Republican senators have reversed course and now say they won't object to congressional certification of President-elect Joe Biden's victory.

Their change of heart came after a violent mob stormed the U.S. Capitol earlier Wednesday and interrupted their proceedings. One person was fatally shot.

Sens. Steve Daines of Montana, Mike Braun of Indiana and Kelly Loeffler of Georgia all said in light of the violence they would stand down from planned objections to Biden's win.

Lawmakers gathered to certify the Electoral College votes from each state were forced to evacuate after an angry mob of Trump supporters descended on the Capitol. Loeffler said that the "violence, the lawlessness, and siege of the halls of Congress" were a "direct attack" on the "sanctity of the American democratic process."

All three had previously signed on to Trump's false claims of widespread voter fraud to explain his defeat. Loeffler has just days left in her term. She lost her Senate race to Democrat Raphael Warnock earlier Wednesday.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer says President Donald Trump "bears a great deal of the blame" after a mob loyal to him stormed the U.S. Capitol.

As the Senate reconvened to count electoral votes that will confirm Democrat Joe Biden's win, Schumer said that Jan. 6, 2021, will "live forever in infamy" and will be a stain on the democracy.

Schumer said the events "did not happen spontaneously."

He said Wednesday: "The president, who promoted conspiracy theories that motivated these thugs, the president, who exhorted them to come to our nation's capital, egged them on."

Trump has falsely claimed that there was widespread fraud in the election to explain away his defeat.

Schumer says the protesters should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says Congress "will not be deterred" in confirming the results of the presidential election hours after supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol.

The Republican leader reopened the Senate late Wednesday vowing to finish confirming the Electoral College for President-elect Joe Biden. It was interrupted earlier in the way when rioters breached the security perimeter and clashed with law enforcement before disrupting Congress' tallying of the Electoral College votes. One person was fatally shot.

McConnell says demonstrators "tried to disrupt our democracy. They failed."

McConnell plans to keep the Senate in session Wednesday to finish confirming the results.

Trump has repeatedly told his supporters that the November election was stolen from him, even though that is not true. He reiterated the claim in a video filmed as his demonstrators were storming the Capitol.

Multiple sources told ABC News President Trump rebuffed efforts to call in the National Guard Wednesday afternoon for quite some time until a few White House officials intervened for "the sake of the country."

Sources told ABC News the aides explained to Trump that, if action was not taken, other protesters could mobilize across the country and the situation would only grow more dire.

The District of Columbia Council also issued the following statement:

"Today, the Department of Defense denied a request by Mayor Muriel Bowser to expand the responsibilities of the District of Columbia National Guard so that they would be authorized to protect and restore order at the Capitol Building. That request was denied.

"The Council is in full support of the Mayor's request. We are appalled that this fundamental request was denied. We urge the Department of Defense to reconsider their decision, and to allow the National Guard to restore safety and sanctity to the Capitol, the cornerstone of our Democracy."

The Senate has resumed debating the Republican challenge against Democrat Joe Biden's presidential election victory, more than six hours after pro-Trump mobs attacked the Capitol and forced lawmakers to flee.

Scores of Republican representatives and 13 GOP senators had planned to object Wednesday to the electoral votes of perhaps six states that backed Biden. It was unclear whether those objections would continue in light of the day's violent events.

President Donald Trump has falsely insisted that the election was marred by fraud and that he actually won. He reiterated those claims in remarks to thousands of protesters outside the White House early Wednesday and goaded them to march to the Capitol, which many of them did.

The mayhem had forced the House and Senate to abruptly end the day's debates and flee to safety under the protection of police. And it prompted bipartisan outrage as many lawmakers blamed Trump for fostering the violence.

The Republican National Committee says it strongly condemns the violence at the Capitol, adding that the violent scenes "do not represent acts of patriotism, but an attack on our country and its founding principles."

The RNC is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican political platform. Its statement condemning the violence came hours after Republican President Donald Trump baselessly complained that the election was stripped away "from great patriots." He went on to tell them to "go home with love & in peace."

The group's communications director, Michael Ahrens, says, "What happened today was domestic terrorism."

He says to see the U.S. flag used "in the name of unfounded conspiracy theories is a disgrace to the nation, and every decent American should be disgusted by it."

Trump had encouraged his supporters to come to Washington to fight Congress' formal approval of President-elect Joe Biden's victory over him, citing false claims of voter fraud. He held a rally earlier Wednesday and urged his supporters to march to the Capitol, telling them to "get rid of the weak Congress people."

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says Congress will resume the Electoral College proceedings once the Capitol is cleared of pro-Donald Trump protesters and safe for use.

Pelosi said she made the decision Wednesday in consultation with the Pentagon, the Justice Department and the vice president, who will preside.

She noted the day would always be "part of history," but now it would be "as such a shameful picture of our country was put out into the world."

Trump had encouraged his supporters to come to Washington to fight Congress' formal approval of President-elect Joe Biden's win. He held a rally earlier Wednesday and urged his supporters to march to the Capitol, telling them to "get rid of the weak Congress people" and saying, "get the weak ones get out; this is the time for strength."

Trump supporters breached the Capitol building and clashed with law enforcement before disrupting Congress' tallying of the Electoral College votes. Trump has repeatedly told his supporters that the November election was stolen from him, even though that is not true.

Republican Sen. Mitt Romney is blaming President Donald Trump for inciting a violent "insurrection" at the Capitol.

Romney, the GOP's 2012 presidential nominee and a frequent critic of Trump's, said the violent breach of the Capitol on Wednesday was "due to a selfish man's injured pride and the outrage of his supporters whom he has deliberately misinformed for the past two months.″

The Utah senator said those who continue to support Trump's "dangerous gambit" by objecting to the results of a legitimate, democratic election "will forever be seen as complicit in an unprecedented attack against our democracy.″

Romney ridiculed Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and other Republicans who want an "audit" of the election results: "Please! No Congressional led audit will ever convince those voters, particularly when the president will continue to claim the election was stolen."

The simple truth, Romney said, "is that President-elect (Joe) Biden won this election. President Trump lost.″

President Donald Trump has appeared to justify the violent occupation of the U.S. Capitol by his supporters.

In a tweet Wednesday night, Trump said, "These are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away from great patriots who have been badly & unfairly treated for so long."

He added, "Go home with love & in peace. Remember this day forever!"

Trump supporters breached the Capitol building and clashed with law enforcement before disrupting Congress' tallying of the Electoral College votes. Trump has repeatedly told his supporters that the November election was stolen from him, even though that is not true.

Trump has faced mounting criticism from Republican lawmakers to do more to condemn the violence being perpetrated in his name.

Acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen says the violent pro-Trump protest at the U.S. Capitol was an "intolerable attack on a fundamental institution" of democracy.

Rosen said Wednesday that the Justice Department has been working with U.S. Capitol Police and other federal law enforcement agencies to secure the Capitol. He says hundreds of federal agents from Justice Department agencies were sent to assist.

He called it an "unacceptable situation" and said federal prosecutors "intend to enforce the laws of our land."

Dozens of President Donald Trump's supporters breached the security perimeter and entered the Capitol as Congress was meeting, expected to vote and affirm Joe Biden's presidential win. They were seen fighting with officers both inside the building and outside.

Police declared the Capitol to be secure about four hours later.

A woman who was shot inside the U.S. Capitol during the violent pro-Trump protest has died.

That's according to two officials familiar with the matter who spoke to The Associated Press on Wednesday on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak publicly.

The Metropolitan Police Department said it was taking the lead on the shooting investigation. Police did not immediately provide details about the circumstances of the shooting.

Dozens of supporters of President Donald Trump breached the security perimeter and entered the Capitol as Congress was meeting, expected to vote and affirm Joe Biden's presidential win. They were seen fighting with officers both inside the building and outside.

Hours later, police had declared the Capitol was secured.

Officials have declared the U.S. Capitol complex "secure" after heavily armed police moved to end a nearly four-hour violent occupation by supporters of President Donald Trump.

An announcement saying "the Capitol is secure" rang out Wednesday evening inside a secure location for officials of the House. Lawmakers applauded.

The occupation interrupted Congress' Electoral College count that will formalize President-elect Joe Biden's upcoming inauguration on Jan. 20.

Lawmakers were evacuated to secure locations around the Capitol complex and Washington, D.C. after thousands of Trump supporters breached the building and skirmished with police officers.

Lawmakers have signaled that they would resume the constitutionally mandated count as soon as it was safe to do so.

Facebook removed President Trump's videos from its platform, Wednesday evening, calling it an "emergency situation." The platform then suspended Trump from posting later in the evening.

The company's Vice President of Integrity, Guy Rosen, tweeted, "This is an emergency situation and we are taking appropriate emergency measures, including removing President Trump's video. We removed it because on balance we believe it contributes to rather than diminishes the risk of ongoing violence."

This is an emergency situation and we are taking appropriate emergency measures, including removing President Trump's video. We removed it because on balance we believe it contributes to rather than diminishes the risk of ongoing violence.
- Guy Rosen (@guyro) January 6, 2021

We've assessed two policy violations against President Trump's Page which will result in a 24-hour feature block, meaning he will lose the ability to post on the platform during that time.
- Facebook Newsroom (@fbnewsroom) January 7, 2021

YouTube also said it has removed the Trump video for spreading false claims about widespread election fraud. But a copy of the video was still easy to find as of Wednesday afternoon.

Twitter said it was blocking the video from being replied to, retweeted or liked "due to a risk of violence," but later removed three of the president's tweets and locked his account for 12 hours.

This means that the account of @realDonaldTrump will be locked for 12 hours following the removal of these Tweets. If the Tweets are not removed, the account will remain locked.
- Twitter Safety (@TwitterSafety) January 7, 2021

Police are using tear gas and percussion grenades to begin clearing pro-Trump protesters from the grounds of the U.S. Capitol ahead of a curfew in Washington.

Police donned gas masks as they moved in Wednesday evening with force to clear protesters from the Capitol grounds shortly before a curfew took hold. In the moments before, there were violent clashes between the police and protesters, who tore railing for the inauguration scaffolding and threw it at the officers.

Police used tear gas and percussion grenades to break up the crowd, which began dispersing.

Dozens of supporters of President Donald Trump breached security perimeter and entered the Capitol as Congress was meeting, expected to vote to affirm Democrat Joe Biden's presidential win. They were seen fighting with officers both inside the building and outside.

Police said at least one person was shot inside the Capitol; their condition was not immediately known.

The district's police chief said at least 13 people were arrested, and five firearms had been recovered during the pro-Trump protests on Wednesday.

The Washington, D.C., police chief says at least five weapons have been recovered and at least 13 people have been arrested so far in pro-Trump protests.

The mostly maskless crowd stormed the Capitol earlier Wednesday as lawmakers were meeting to certify President-elect Joe Biden's win. One person was shot; their condition is unknown.

Police Chief Robert Contee called the attack a riot.

As darkness began to set in, law enforcement officials were working their way toward the protesters, using percussion grenades to try to clear the area around the Capitol. Big clouds of tear gas were visible.

Police were in full riot gear. They moved down the West steps, clashing with demonstrators.

Mayor Muriel Bowser earlier declared a 6 p.m. curfew.

Pro-Trump demonstrators have massed outside statehouses across the country, forcing evacuations in at least two states. In St. Paul, Minnesota, cheers rang out from demonstrators in reaction to the news that supporters of President Donald Trump had stormed the U.S. Capitol.

Hundreds of mostly unmasked people people gathered outside capitols on Wednesday with Trump flags and "Stop the Steal" signs. In Georgia and Oklahoma, some demonstrators carried guns.

New Mexico state police evacuated staff from a statehouse building that includes the governor's and secretary of state's offices as a precaution shortly after hundreds of flag-waving supporters arrived in a vehicle caravan and on horseback. A spokesperson for the governor's office says there was no indication of threats at the statehouse.

The staff of Utah Gov. Spencer Cox was sent home as several hundred pro-Trump demonstrators rallied outside the Capitol, though the demonstration remained relatively calm. A brief scuffle between pro-Trump demonstrators, who included members of the Proud Boys, and counterprotesters broke out in Columbus, Ohio, but there was no immediate threat to the Capitol.

The police chief of Washington, D.C., says pro-Trump protesters deployed "chemical irritants" on police in order to break into the U.S. Capitol.

Police Chief Robert Contee says officials have declared the scene a riot. One civilian was shot inside the Capitol on Wednesday. Thirteen arrests were made of people from out of the area.

Mayor Muriel Bowser says the behavior of the Trump supporters was "shameful, unpatriotic and above all is unlawful." She says, "There will be law and order and this behavior will not be tolerated."

Metropolitan police have been sent to the Capitol, and authorities were coming in from Maryland, Virginia and New Jersey to help out. The National Guard was also deployed, as were Homeland Security investigators and Secret Service.

Trump had encouraged his supporters to come to Washington to fight Congress' formal approval of President-elect Joe Biden's win. He held a rally earlier Wednesday and urged his supporters to march to the Capitol, telling them to "get rid of the weak Congress people" and saying, "get the weak ones get out; this is the time for strength."

At least one explosive device has been found near the U.S. Capitol amid a violent occupation of the building by supporters of President Donald Trump.

Law enforcement officials said the device was no longer a threat Wednesday afternoon.

Thousands of supporters of the president occupied the Capitol complex as lawmakers were beginning to tally the electoral votes that will formalize President-elect Joe Biden's victory.

Vice President Mike Pence has called on protesters to leave the Capitol immediately, going further than Trump, who merely called for his supporters to "remain peaceful."

President Donald Trump, in a video message, is urging supporters to "go home" but is also keeping up false attacks about the presidential election.

The video was issued more than two hours after protesters began storming the Capitol on Wednesday as lawmakers convened for an extraordinary joint session to confirm the Electoral College results and President-elect Joe Biden's victory.

Trump opened his video, saying, "I know your pain. I know your hurt. But you have to go home now."

He also went on to call the supporters "very special." He also said, "we can't play into the hands of these people. We have to have peace. So go home. We love you. You're very special."

Republican lawmakers and previous administration officials had begged Trump to give a statement to his supporters to quell the violence. The statement came as authorities struggled to take control of a chaotic situation at the Capitol that led to the evacuation of lawmakers.

Later on, Twitter said it's blocking the video from being replied to, retweeted or liked "

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Violent Protests at US Capitol: 4 died as Trump supporters stormed Capitol

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The House has voted overwhelmingly to reject an objection to President-elect Joe Biden's win in Arizona, joining the Senate in upholding the results of the election there. The objection failed 303-121 on Wednesday night, with only Republicans voting in support. Earlier Wednesday, supporters of President Donald Trump breached the U.S.

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it won’t let me paste the link here.

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https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/america-votes/this-represents-the-end-trump-says-transition-will-be-orderly-1.5256976

What made him change his mind??

I can't post the article

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Some rioters began to climb the Capitol wall, storming the building, in hopes of halting proceedings of Joe Biden being officially certified as the President.

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As the rioters on Capitol Hill continue to overwhelm authorities, this photo will be one for the history books.

The images from today's riots will be burned into the brains of Americans for years to come. Party flags flying on Capitol Hill from rioters supporting outgoing President Donald Trump as they storm the building and halt proceedings that would certify Joe Biden as the president-elect.

This one will be in mine forever:

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Washingtonian photographer Evy Mages captured protesters scaling the walls of the building after they broke through a police barricade and broke into the building.

Both houses of Congress, which were debating the validity of Arizona's certified electoral votes, had to abruptly halt their debates. Some senators and congress members were ushered safely out of the building while others forced to lock down inside their respective chambers.

NBC News reported on air that at least one person was seen bloodied and leaving on a stretcher.

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The protesters appear to be the same who were riled up by Trump before the electoral college proceeding started around noon.

The news is unfolding. Both chambers were still on lockdown as of 2 p.m. CST.

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Dramatic photo shows Trump supporters scaling Capitol wall

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As the rioters on Capitol Hill continue to overwhelm authorities, this photo will be one...

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To what limits might these individuals go to, and will they continue to storm parliament building after Biden is officially declared President?

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who was behind all this  for all this ? What was the reason that the citizens got so angry they they broken down the get to get inside the White House ?

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aggrestion

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how did the people who got into the white house actually get in. I get the rioters broke the bearer but was there no other security.

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What made them think that having a riot would solve their problems, and what made them love Trump so much, that they needed to cause a riot in the first place

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Even if they riot, Biden will still be taking the office as the new president. What was their point? what did they expect?

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Many celebrities have spoken up already about what happened yesterday.

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‘Assault on democracy’: Lady Gaga, Meghan McCain, Cardi B and more react to Capitol riots

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Here’s what Meghan McCain, Cardi B and other celebrities are saying after rioters swarmed the Capitol building on Wednesday.

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That's ironic...

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how many  people where there

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Over a thousand National guard forces were send to protect capitol.

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Trump supporters scaled the walls at the U.S. Capitol during a massive protest on Jan. 6. (Michael Robinson Chavez/The Washington Post)

The Pentagon scrambled to deploy more than a thousand National Guard forces to help protect the Capitol on Wednesday after they had remained on the sidelines during a limited early deployment while rioters stormed Congress.

The absence of authorized military personnel while chaos upended the certification of the presidential election was a stark contrast to the military's role in protests for racial justice in June, when National Guard helicopters flew perilously low over crowds of demonstrators, front-line forces massed near the city, and Pentagon leaders were criticized for appearing to support President Trump's heavy-handed response.

This time, Pentagon officials appeared determined to steer clear of the politically charged fray, acting in lockstep with city leaders as they outlined a small, minimally visible role for the D.C. National Guard, and none at all for active-duty military forces.

That decision faced intensified scrutiny later Wednesday after Trump supporters, many of them wearing tactical gear, crashed through defenses erected by D.C. and Capitol police and pushed inside the Capitol, forcing lawmakers to halt election certification proceedings and evacuate in fear. A woman was fatally shot inside the Capitol, officials said.

Scenes from a violent day at the Capitol

In a statement issued after those events, acting defense secretary Christopher C. Miller said the Pentagon had mobilized all available D.C. National Guard forces, amounting to some 1,100 service members, and would provide additional support as requested.

"Our people are sworn to defend the constitution and our democratic form of government and they will act accordingly," he said.

The decision to deploy the D.C. Guard was up to Miller. Though he discussed the situation with Vice President Pence, it was Miller who ultimately authorized the full deployment, according to a senior U.S. official, who noted that the vice president doesn't have the power to make that decision because he isn't in the chain of command.

Because D.C. is not a state, the D.C. Guard answers to the president, but he has delegated authority to command the capital's guardsmen to Miller and Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy - two of the top officials at the Pentagon.

The governors of Maryland and Virginia also activated state troopers and members of their Guards to help respond to the situation.

Officials said the Justice Department would lead the law enforcement response. Responsibility to protect the Capitol, which is federal territory, falls to the Capitol Police, which reports to Congress. But the National Guard is trained to support federal and local law enforcement during civil unrest.

As Trump backers descend on capital, military hopes to avoid political unrest

Still, the dramatic events generated questions about why the military remained on the margins of a well-publicized protest whose members made no secret of their desire to use force.

"Questions will be asked about the adequacy of the planning by the various law enforcement organizations tasked with protecting the Capitol against violent disorder like this," said Peter Feaver, a professor of political science and an expert in civil-military relations at Duke University.

Last year, during the racial justice protests, Trump ordered a vast contingent of guardsmen onto the streets of Washington and fell out with Pentagon leadership after his defense secretary warned against deploying active-troops under the Insurrection Act in the capital's streets. But as the president's supporters signaled their intent to descend upon Congress this week, Trump issued no such orders.

In his statement on Wednesday, Miller said he and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark A. Milley, consulted with Pence, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.) before fully activating the D.C. Guard, but Miller didn't mention any consultations with Trump.

The scenes of Trump supporters storming into the Capitol stunned former military and Pentagon leaders.

"Today's tyranny, an effort to subjugate America's democracy by mob rule, was fomented and directed by Mr. Trump," former defense secretary Jim Mattis, who resigned in December 2018, said in a statement.

"His effort to destroy trust in our election and to poison our respect for fellow citizens has been enabled by pseudo political leaders whose names will live in infamy as profiles in cowardice," Mattis said. "Our Constitution and our Republic will overcome this stain on our reputation, while Mr. Trump will deservedly be a man without a country."

Retired Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., who was Trump's first chairman of the Joint Chiefs, called what occurred in Washington "an outrageous assault."

"I believe our leaders who have continued to undermine a peaceful transition in accordance with our Constitution have set the conditions for today's violence," he said in a statement.

The events of recent weeks, as Trump has used an expanding array of means to try to overturn President-elect Joe Biden's electoral win, has also revived fears among many Americans that Trump might try to employ the military in his quest to remain in office.

While preparing for Wednesday's demonstrations, Pentagon leaders were still smarting from criticism of their role in the Trump administration's outsized and militarized response to protests in the capital following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. That included the deployment of guardsmen from D.C. and 11 states, as well as the staging of active-duty troops outside the capital and the deployment of federal agents without insignia.

Members of the National Guard were also on site at the White House when federal law enforcement cleared protesters in Lafayette Square with tear gas and rubber pellets, allowing Trump to cross the street to take a photograph with a Bible in front of St. John's Church.

With those events in mind, top defense officials specifically ensured that the 340 members of the D.C. Guard whose activation were requested this week by D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser would stay away from the Capitol to avoid the poor optics of uniformed military personnel and Humvees flanking civilian protesters.

One senior U.S. official told The Washington Post on Tuesday, ahead of the demonstrations, that at the Pentagon, "everyone has got a lot of scar tissue and a lot of PTSD from the domestic unrest of the summer" and didn't want a repeat. The official added, "We've learned our lessons and will be absolutely nowhere near the Capitol Building."

As Trump supporters gathered in central Washington on Wednesday, however, the events quickly spiraled beyond the control of Capitol and D.C. police.

During a midday phone call with Pentagon leaders, Capitol Police requested about 200 troops from the D.C. Guard for immediate backup, according to a person familiar with the call who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. But Pentagon leaders didn't immediately approve the request, according to people familiar with the conversation.

McCarthy - who wasn't on the call, according to one person familiar with it - said later at a news conference that there was "a little bit of confusion" after the request but that the Pentagon decided about a half-hour later to mobilize the entire D.C. Guard, though the Defense Department left it to the federal law enforcement to clear the Capitol of the rioters.

Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) said she texted Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, while sheltering in place with other lawmakers.

" I wanted them to understand from someone that they knew and someone had seen worse that this was a rapidly developing security situation and I couldn't say with clarity that the situation was under control," said Slotkin, who previously served as a senior Pentagon official and intelligence analyst in Iraq.

When Milley called her back, he said that Guard forces, not active-duty troops, would be deployed. "He was like, 'We got it, We're on it,' " she said.

Speaking later alongside Bowser at a news conference, McCarthy said he had fully mobilized the D.C. Guard at about 3 p.m.

By early evening, the National Guard had been ordered to reestablish a perimeter around the Capitol, where they stood behind D.C. police with riot shields. Officials said National Guard forces would carry shields and batons but no firearms.

The task of clearing the Capitol itself has fallen primarily to federal law enforcement agents, with acting attorney general Jeffrey Rosen overseeing the response.

The National Guard didn't ask to deploy aircraft as part of the response, an additional point of contrast to June, when a pair of Guard helicopters roared over demonstrators, flying as low as 45 feet and prompting fierce criticism and an ongoing investigation.

"Here it seems it's disproportionate force on the other side of the spectrum," said Rachel E. VanLandingham, a military law expert and professor at the Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles.

Feaver said that given all the advance warning from Trump supporters about their willingness to escalate to violence, one would have expected authorities to have a robust plan in place with contingencies assessed and war games run, with the National Guard in a backup role.

"Given what happened in June, authorities are understandably wary about escalating to the National Guard," Feaver said. "That said, no mature and secure democracy wants to see its legislative chambers taken over by violent mobs."

Slotkin placed greater responsibility on the Capitol Police and D.C. police, rather than the National Guard, for how the breakdown occurred and said she expected an after-action review.

Former defense secretary Mark T. Esper, whom Trump fired in November over his pushback to Trump's attempt to use military forces to quash protests in June, wrote on Twitter that he was confident the military would stay out of politics in the coming weeks.

"This must end now for the good of the republic," he said.

Devlin Barrett contributed to this story.

Updated January 6, 2021

Complete coverage: Pro-Trump mob storms Capitol building

Throngs of pro-Trump rioters breached Capitol interrupting electoral college vote

The latest: D.C. National Guard activated after mob breaches building | Woman shot inside U.S. Capitol after mob stormed building has died, police say

Live updates: Congress back in session to vote on Electoral College certification
Photos: Scenes from the chaos at the capital
Inside the Capitol: A reporter's account of evacuating the Senate

Reactions: Twitter locks Trump's account for 12 hours and warns he could get kicked off permanently | World stunned by subversion of U.S. democracy | Media: How the mob takeover of the Capitol unfolded in news coverage
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Pentagon, lambasted for heavy response in the past, on sideline during Capitol melee

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The Pentagon scrambled to deploy more than a thousand National Guard forces to help protect the Capitol on Wednesday after they had remained on the sidelines during a limited early deployment while rioters stormed Congress.

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Hear what Trump told crowd before riot... and they listened.

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hear what donald trump told crowd before riot at capitol - cnn video

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Hear what Donald Trump told crowd before riot at Capitol - CNN Video

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CNN's Erin Burnett takes a look at what President Donald Trump told a crowd of supporters before rioters gathered at the US Capitol to protest the 2020 election.

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How many people broke into the White House? and What did they do in there?

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Trump Didn’t Just Cross a Line in Inciting Today’s Riot in the Capitol—He Committed a Crime

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First President Trump denied reality. Then he fanned the flames of insurrection. And on Wednesday, his speech actually broke the law, and he should be prosecuted for it.

Trump didn't ask people to read between the lines on Wednesday, he was explicit: "[Y]ou'll never take back our country with weakness. You have to show strength and you have to be strong...We're going to walk down Pennsylvania Avenue, ... and we're going to the Capitol, ... and we're going to try [to] give our Republicans...the kind of pride and boldness that they need to take back our country."

Speaking to a crowd about political views lies at the very heart of our democracy. But weaponizing that crowd, inciting them, directing them, and turning them into a weapon, that's not democracy - that's an attack on the democratic process. And when a person, even a president, crosses that line, the Constitution and case law are quite clear: they lose their usual First Amendment protections and commit a crime.

The Supreme Court's 1969 Brandenburg test, still in effect today, is named for a noxious Klan leader who was tried for his words at a 1964 Ohio KKK rally where speakers speculated about "revengeance' against their enemies, talked about expelling Blacks and Jews from America and planned a march on Washington. The Supreme Court threw out his conviction for advocating violence, holding that his speech was awful, but not illegal. That's because Brandenburg referenced the far-off possibility of violence, but no immediate crimes. The resulting test asks two questions: (1) is the speech directed to inciting or producing imminent lawless action, and (2) is the speech likely to incite or produce such action? In short: are you asking people to commit a crime they're actually about to commit?
Pro-Trump Rioters Clash With Cops at the Capitol
Unlike in Brandenburg's case, there's no ambiguity with Trump's speech Wednesday that came after weeks of growing, manufactured anger at President-Elect Biden's victory. Taking to the lectern, Trump knew the seething anger of the crowd, he stoked it. He aimed them like a loaded weapon down Pennsylvania Avenue, unleashing them at the Capital, Congress, and our democracy.

Of course, Trump was back and snug at the White House long before the marchers ever reached the Capital, but his work was done. In the following hours, hundreds of protesters did just what he asked, trespassing on the Capital, breaking into the building, and bringing Congress to a halt.

Clearly, not all of the crimes committed today can be pinned on Trump. But the trespassing itself, breaking into the Capital, is exactly what he called for. And that's a crime. Incitement to riot on its own could land Trump in prison for a decade. Trespassing at the Capital is punishable by 10 years in prison as well, and there could be other charges for the destruction of property, injuring Congressional staff, and more. And under Federal law, Trump could face jail time for any violent crimes he "solicits, commands, induces, or otherwise endeavors to persuade such other person to engage in..."

If Trump had won a second term, the question would largely be moot. It would take a second impeachment and conviction by two-thirds of the Senate to bring him to justice. But in just two weeks, President Biden will take the oath of office, and Trump will be just another potential defendant, waiting to see what charges prosecutors might bring. Let's hope they charge him swiftly.
Read more at The Daily Beast. Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

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Trump Didn't Just Cross a Line in Inciting Today's Riot in the Capitol-He Committed a Crime

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
First President Trump denied reality. Then he fanned the flames of insurrection. And on Wednesday, his speech actually broke the law, and he should be prosecuted for it.Trump didn't ask people to read between the lines on Wednesday, he was explicit: "[Y]ou'll never take back our country with weakness.

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Anger issues

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The world's oldest democracy has had a brush with its own mortality.

An attempt to disrupt the U.S. transition of democratic power has delivered a wakeup call for a system poisoned by escalating political hatred.

Make no mistake about what this was: "A failed insurrection" is what Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called it.

So a country that has styled itself, and shed blood, as a democracy-spreading force around the world now finds itself struggling to safeguard it at home.

Wednesday's scenes will outlive us all - images of the invasion of the U.S. Capitol, of politicians forced into hiding, congressional offices ransacked and, in a symbolic gut-punch, a Confederate flag carried triumphantly inside this most anti-Confederate landmark.
WATCH | Protesters storm the barricades:
The actions of U.S. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, will outlive him as an indelible piece of his legacy.

He encouraged that crowd to march on the Capitol, then later waffled in his statements condemning what happened. By day's end, his military chief and national security adviser said they were working with Vice-President Mike Pence to restore calm.

CBS News reported that some members of Trump's cabinet were discussing the possibility of removing him from office under the 25th Amendment. The Republican governor of Vermont was among several saying Trump should immediately resign or be impeached.

'Shameful episode'

The last Republican and the Republican presidential before Trump both condemned his behaviour, with Sen. Mitt Romney referring to the president as a "selfish man" whose wounded pride about losing an election prompted an insurrection.

Hours later, lawmakers were called back into the chamber hosting a joint session. Shortly after 3:30 a.m.ET, Joe Biden was formally recognized by the U.S. Congress as the incoming president, in a procedural meeting led by Pence.

"To those who wreaked havoc in our Capitol today, you did not win," said Trump's vice-president, who had been under public pressure from his boss to overturn the result.

"The world will again witness the strength of our democracy," Pence said as he called the meeting back to order following a frantic few hours.

"Let's get back to work."
WATCH | What happens to Trumpism after Trump?
Twitter, meanwhile, had locked down the president's account on the grounds of public safety.

Yet conversations overheard in Washington suggest it will be more difficult to stem the loathing now threatening to corrode the republic's foundations.

A crowd of thousands arrived at the Capitol after a rally where Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani called for "trial by combat" and Trump himself vowed never to concede.

Numerous other speeches delivered from podiums at rallies this week in Washington were laden with threats of violent insurrection.

'The brink of a revolution'

"We're on the brink of a revolution. And I for one will take the first bullet," Chris Cox, the founder of a group called Bikers for Trump, said at one Tuesday night rally.

A televangelist at the same rally, Mark Burns, called the presidential election a battle of good versus evil and led a crowd in the chanting of the revolutionary creed, "Give me liberty or give me death."
WATCH | How Wednesday's events unfolded:
The head of a conservative Christian group, Christie Hutcherson, asked the crowd: "Are you ready to start a revolution? ... We need to pray - but not just pray."

On Wednesday, the crowd assembled in three loosely formed concentric rings around the Capitol.

The closest group smashed its way inside the building. A second and much larger group milled upon the doorstep, hoisting Trump flags and tossing firecrackers.

That second group included a man carrying a bullhorn inciting the third, and largest, group assembled on the lawn of the National Mall.

"Push forward people. This is what you've come here for," he said, encouraging them to storm the premises.

"This [Congress] is your house. Come on in."

Some of those on the lawn were having friendly exchanges, such as one woman showing baby pictures on her phone.

Others prayed for Trump's doomed attempt to overturn the election. During one prayer, several women cried, and one splayed across the grass.

Several warned things will get worse if Biden is allowed to take office.

Standing near the podium where Biden is scheduled to take the presidential oath in two weeks, a man in camouflage shouted: "This is just a wakeup call."

"Next time, we won't be peaceful," shouted a man next to him.

Others walked away - either westward down Pennsylvania Avenue past the Canadian Embassy or north to the nearby metro station.

Non-mask-wearing, Trump-supporting, out-of-town visitors crowded into metro cars alongside residents of Washington wearing masks.

One man loudly spouted unhinged conspiracy theories about Pence being peddled online to explain the vice-president's perceived abandonment of Trump.

He and others exchanged the URLs for conspiracy websites that he fumed were being pulled off of Facebook.

One woman said the president had a duty to remain in office under his oath to defend the constitution against enemies, both foreign and domestic: "He can't concede," she said.

Police outmatched

Back at the Capitol, tensions were escalating. Members of the mob complained about the police. Which is striking given that police, for hours, were so badly outmatched that they did little to protect the Capitol.

Some of the protestors even joked about it: "They didn't even fight back," said one man walking away from the Capitol. "We have stormed the Capitol." A friend said: "That was the easiest storm ever."

Eventually, additional police units from surrounding areas gathered on the nearby streets and put on riot gear.

Members of the mob spotted them and began hurling insults, several sounding genuinely surprised that police would not be supporting them.

A man in a red cap berated a shielded officer from Montgomery County, Md.: "What side are you on?" he said.

While the scenes will shock, the instability shouldn't.

Political-risk analysts warned before the election that the country could face low-level unrest. The International Crisis Group cited several factors, including the country's politics being polarized along racial and cultural-identity lines; the rise of armed groups with political agendas, such as the groups that allegedly plotted to attack the Michigan legislature and kidnap the governor; and the president himself.

Psychologists have about how Trump might respond to an election loss.

'We're not going away'

When lawmakers returned to their desks on Wednesday evening, Senate Republican Mitch McConnell said the thugs who launched what he called a failed insurrection would not deter democracy from performing its vital tasks.

The top Senate Democrat, Chuck Schumer, paraphrased Franklin Roosevelt's words about the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor and said Jan. 6, 2021, would join the short list of dates in American history that will live forever in infamy.

"This will be a stain on our country not so easily washed away," Schumer said. "The final, terrible, indelible legacy of the 45th president of the United States - undoubtedly, our worst."

Trump's presidency began four years ago with him claiming the largest crowd for an inaugural celebration on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol. His presidency ends with the largest domestic coup attempt in that spot.

Hundreds of people at one Washington rally this week chanted: "We're not going away! We're not going away!" The speaker leading those chants, referring to unfounded allegations of voter fraud, said: "This problem is not going anywhere."
WATCH | Vice-President Mike Pence condemns violence at the Capitol as Congress reconvenes:

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A mob failed to stop Congress from declaring Biden's win. Some warn they'll be back | CBC News

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The world's oldest democracy has had a brush with its own mortality. An attempt to disrupt the U.S. transition of democratic power has delivered a wakeup call for a system poisoned by escalating political hatred. Make no mistake about what this was: "A failed insurrection" is what Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called it.