2021 storming of the U.S. Capitol
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On January 6, 2021, following the defeat of then-
U.S. President The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...
Donald Trump in the
2020 presidential election This national electoral calendar for 2020 lists the national/federal elections held in 2020 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included. January *5 January: **C ...
, a mob of his supporters attacked the United States Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. The mob was seeking to keep Trump in power by preventing a joint session of Congress from counting the electoral college votes to formalize the victory of President-elect Joe Biden. According to the House select committee investigating the incident, the attack was the culmination of a seven-part plan by Trump to overturn the election. Five people died either shortly before, during, or following the event: one was shot by Capitol Police, another died of a drug overdose, and three died of
natural causes In many legal jurisdictions, the manner of death is a determination, typically made by the coroner, medical examiner, police, or similar officials, and recorded as a vital statistic. Within the United States and the United Kingdom, a distinct ...
. Many people were injured, including 138 police officers. Four officers who responded to the attack killed themselves within seven months. monetary damages caused by attackers exceed $2.7 million.
Called to action by Trump, thousands of his supporters gathered in Washington, D.C., on January5 and6 to support his false claim that the 2020 election had been "stolen by emboldened radical-left Democrats" and to demand that Vice President
Mike Pence Michael Richard Pence (born June 7, 1959) is an American politician who served as the 48th vice president of the United States from 2017 to 2021 under President Donald Trump. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the 50th ...
and the Congress reject Biden's victory.Multiple sources: * * * Starting at noon on January 6, at a "Save America" rally on the Ellipse, Trump repeated false claims of election irregularitiesMultiple sources: * * President Donald Trump, , ABC News, January 8, 2021, minutes 10:55–11:06. * * and said "If you don't fight like hell, you're not going to have a country anymore." During and after his speech, thousands of attendees, some armed, walked to the Capitol, and hundreds breached police perimeters as Congress was beginning the electoral vote count. More than 2,000 rioters entered the building, many of whom occupied, vandalized, and looted;"Vandalized": * * "Looted": * Multiple sources: * * assaulted Capitol Police officers and reporters; and attempted to locate lawmakers to capture and harm. A gallows was erected west of the Capitol, and some rioters chanted "Hang Mike Pence" after he rejected false claims by Trump and others that the vice president could overturn the election results. Some vandalized and looted the offices of
House Speaker The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hungerfo ...
Nancy Pelosi Nancy Patricia Pelosi (; ; born March 26, 1940) is an American politician who has served as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives since 2019 and previously from 2007 to 2011. She has represented in the United States House of ...
() and other members of Congress.Multiple sources: * * * * * * * * With building security breached, Capitol Police evacuated and locked down both chambers of Congress and several buildings in the Capitol Complex. Rioters occupied the empty Senate chamber while federal law enforcement officers defended the evacuated House floor. Pipe bombs were found at each of the
Democratic National Committee The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is the governing body of the United States Democratic Party. The committee coordinates strategy to support Democratic Party candidates throughout the country for local, state, and national office, as well a ...
and Republican National Committee headquarters, and Molotov cocktails were discovered in a vehicle near the Capitol. Trump resisted sending the National Guard to quell the mob. Later that afternoon, in a Twitter video, he reasserted that the election was "fraudulent," but told his supporters to "go home in peace". The Capitol was clear of rioters by mid-evening, and the counting of the electoral votes resumed and was completed in the early morning hours of January 7. Pence declared President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris victorious. Pressured by his cabinet, the threat of removal, and many
resignations Resignation is the formal act of leaving or quitting one's office or position. A resignation can occur when a person holding a position gained by election or appointment steps down, but leaving a position upon the expiration of a term, or choos ...
, Trump later committed to an
orderly transition of power A peaceful transition or transfer of power is a concept important to democratic governments in which the leadership of a government peacefully hands over control of government to a newly-elected leadership. This may be after elections or during t ...
in a televised statement. A week after the riot, the House of Representatives impeached Trump for incitement of insurrection, making him the only U.S. president to have been impeached twice. In February, after Trump had left office, the Senate voted 57–43 in favor of conviction; because this fell short of a two-thirds majority, requiring 67 votes, he was acquitted for a second time. The House passed a bill to create a bipartisan independent commission to investigate the attack, modeled after the
9/11 Commission The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, also known as the 9/11 Commission, was set up on November 27, 2002, "to prepare a full and complete account of the circumstances surrounding the September 11 attacks", includin ...
, but it was blocked by
Republicans Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
in the Senate, so the House approved a
select committee Select committee may refer to: *Select committee (parliamentary system), a committee made up of a small number of parliamentary members appointed to deal with particular areas or issues *Select or special committee (United States Congress) *Select ...
with seven Democrats and two Republicans to investigate instead. The committee held nine televised public hearings on the attack in 2022, and later voted to subpoena Trump. By March 2022, the Justice Department's investigations had expanded to include the activities of others leading up to the attack. Ultimately, the Committee recommended that Trump be prosecuted for obstructing an official proceeding, incitement,
conspiracy to defraud the United States Conspiracy against the United States, or conspiracy to defraud the United States,§ 92318 U.S.C. § 371—Conspiracy to Defraud the United States U.S. Department of Justice's ''United States Attorneys' Manual''. is a federal offense in the United ...
, and making false statements. More than 30 members of anti-government groups, including the Oath Keepers,
Proud Boys The Proud Boys is an American far-right, neo-fascist, and exclusively male organization that promotes and engages in political violence in the United States.Far-right: * * Fascist: * * * * * Men only: * * * Political violence: * * * It has ...
, and Three Percenters, were charged with conspiracy for allegedly planning their attacks on the Capitol; ten Oath Keepers and five Proud Boys were charged with seditious conspiracy,Proud Boys leader Tarrio, 4 top lieutenants charged with seditious conspiracy in widening Jan 6 case
'' Washington Post'', Spencer Hsu, June 6, 2022. Retrieved June 6, 2022.
and one Oath Keeper pleaded guilty. Oath Keeper leader Stewart Rhodes would later be convicted of seditious conspiracy. , at least 57 people with roles in the day's events were running for public office. Although most people charged with crimes relating to the attack had no known affiliation with
far-right Far-right politics, also referred to as the extreme right or right-wing extremism, are political beliefs and actions further to the right of the left–right political spectrum than the standard political right, particularly in terms of being ...
or extremist groups, a significant number were linked to extremist groups or conspiratorial movements. By December 2022, 465 individuals charged had pleaded guilty.


Background


Attempts to overturn the presidential election

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...
Joe Biden defeated incumbent Republican Donald Trump in the
2020 United States presidential election The 2020 United States presidential election was the 59th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 3, 2020. The Democratic ticket of former vice president Joe Biden and the junior U.S. senator from California Kamala Ha ...
. Trump and other Republicans attempted to overturn the election, falsely claiming widespread voter fraud.Multiple sources: * * * * * * Within hours after the closing of the polls, while votes were still being tabulated, Trump declared victory, demanding that further counting be halted. He began a campaign to subvert the election, through legal challenges and an
extralegal {{Short pages monitor
FBI Seeking Information Related to Violent Activity at the U.S Capitol Building
FBI * *: See also:
H. Res. 24 – Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors
(article of impeachment adopted by the House on January 13, 2021)
H.Res.31 – Condemning and censuring Representative Mo Brooks of Alabama
(censure resolution introduced on January 11, 2021, by Representative Tom Malinowski, with two cosponsors) *


Video


What Parler Saw During the Attack on the Capitol
(video archive from ProPublica)
Day of Rage: How Trump Supporters Took the U.S. Capitol
(visual investigation by ''The New York Times'') * PBS ''
Frontline Front line refers to the forward-most forces on a battlefield. Front line, front lines or variants may also refer to: Books and publications * ''Front Lines'' (novel), young adult historical novel by American author Michael Grant * ''Frontlines ...
'' (April 2021)
"American Insurrection"
(video; 84:13)
transcript


( WITF; '' The Washington Post''; May 2, 2021). * ttps://www.fbi.gov/news/videos Federal Bureau of Investigation videos(Filter by keywords)


Timeline

* (Detailed timeline) * (Video timeline)
US Capitol stormed
collected news and commentary. BBC News Online.
Timeline − details before, during and after the attack
('' The Washington Post''; October 31, 2021). * ('' MSNBC News''; July 29, 2022)
"Donald Trump Is Not Above The Law"
('' The New York Times''; August 26, 2022) {{Authority control 117th United States Congress 2021 controversies in the United States 2021 in American politics 2021 in Washington, D.C. 2021 protests 2021 riots Attacks on buildings and structures in 2021 Attacks on buildings and structures in the United States Attacks on the United States Congress Controversies of the 2020 United States presidential election Coups d'état and coup attempts in the United States Crimes against police officers in the United States Deaths by firearm in Washington, D.C. Electoral violence January 2021 crimes in the United States Occupations (protest) Political riots in the United States Protests against results of elections Riots and civil disorder in Washington, D.C. Second impeachment of Donald Trump Terrorist incidents in the United States in 2021 Trump administration controversies Trumpism United States Capitol Police Articles containing video clips