Armed Capitol police held back protesters from the House Chamber
Credit: AP
A 6pm citywide curfew was announced as evening approached. The events were widely described as a dark day for American democracy.
The entire District of Columbia National Guard, made up of 1,100 troops, was ordered into the city at the request of Washington mayor Muriel Bowser.
Footage showed that one protester reached the office of Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic House Speaker, and left a note reading “we will not back down”.
Both Ms Pelosi and Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader in the Senate, released a statement calling on Mr Trump to demand that all protesters leave the US Capitol.
Mr Trump had addressed the crowds hours before they marched on the Capitol, telling them to “stop the steal” and doubling down on his false claims of election victory.
As the violence broke out Mr Trump later called for calm, tweeting: “I am asking for everyone at the US Capitol to remain peaceful. No violence!”
Mr Trump later released a video calling his supporters to go home. He said: “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. We don’t want anybody hurt.”
pic.twitter.com/Pm2PKV0Fp3
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2021
Boris Johnson tweeted, calling on the White House to restore the rule of law: "Disgraceful scenes in U.S. Congress. The United States stands for democracy around the world and it is now vital that there should be a peaceful and orderly transfer of power."
Day of reckoning began with rally
The remarkable developments in the nation’s capital were not inevitable when the sun rose on Tuesday morning, though there was a sense of foreboding around the city.
Thousands of the president’s faithful had gathered the night before, arriving after Mr Trump demanded support for his on-going claim that he, not Mr Biden, was the real election victor.
Wednesday was the day when Congress performs its largely ceremonial duty of signing off the results ahead of the inauguration on January 20, when Mr Biden becomes president.
But the day had double significance. The final balance of the Senate, a chamber the Republicans have held the majority in for six years, was due to become apparent.
Protesters broke in to the Senate chamber
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Violence erupts as Democrats celebrate Senate wins
Georgia, a deeply conservative and deeply religious state which has been a stronghold of the Republican Party for decades, voted on Tuesday for its two US senators.
The races had gone to a so-called run-off after no candidate got more than 50 per cent in the November election. But it carried more significance than just that.
The Democrats were on 48 Senate seats and the Republicans on 50 before the run-offs.
If the Democrats won both, they would finally have control of the Senate because the vice president — soon to be Kamala Harris — casts the deciding vote in ties.
On Wednesday morning it was clear the Democrats were headings for just that. Reverend Raphael Warnock was declared the winner in his race against Kelly Loeffler, the Republican.
The result made Mr Warnock only the 11th black senator elected in US history and the first to represent the state of Georgia, which was once part of the Confederacy.
One protester got in to Nancy Pelosi's office
Credit: EPA
The second race, between Jon Ossoff, a 33-year-old documentary film-maker, and David Perdue, the sitting republican senator, was closer.
But by Wednesday afternoon the race had been called for Mr Ossoff. The Democrats had flipped both seats — a remarkable feat.
Democrats were celebrating their expected victories and working out just how beneficial it would be for Mr Biden’s presidency.
For one, he would no longer need to rely on Republican votes to confirm any of his proposed cabinet members — some of whom had been controversial — or judicial appointments, not least a Supreme Court pick should a seat become free in his term.
In pictures: Donald Trump supporters storm the U.S. Capitol Building
For another, passing his legislative agenda will become easier. While bold progressive reforms like expanding government-funded healthcare and major climate change action may be hard to keep the Democrats united on, others such as getting more stimulus money to help those affected by the pandemic should pass.
Plus it means the Democrats, not the Republicans, will hold the gavels on Senate committees, and with it the power over what and who to investigate. That could help Mr Biden in his first two years in office.
Republicans turn on Trump
The jubilation on the Democratic side was matched by the frustration on the Republican side. Georgia was now a blue state, won by Mr Biden at the election and with two Democratic senators.
Much of the blame was heading towards Mr Trump, who had gone to political war with senior Republicans in Georgia over their refusal to overturn Mr Biden’s win and disheartened supporters with claims of election rigging.
Josh Holmes, the former chief of staff to Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell, was among those to point the finger at the president.
He tweeted: “Suburbs, my friends, the suburbs. I feel like a one trick pony but here we are again. We went from talking about jobs and the economy to Qanon election conspiracies in 4 short years and — as it turns out- they were listening!”
Police struggled to repel the protesters
Credit: AP
The president, however, reached for a familiar explanation — vote rigging.
Just like in the wake of his presidential election defeat, Mr Trump began to make unfounded and wild allegations of election fraud on Twitter to explain away the lost Senate seats.
‘They are committing treason’
By mid-morning attention was focussing on downtown Washington DC. Tens of thousands of pro-Trump protesters had been gathering outside of the White House.
Their presence in the capital was not just welcomed by Mr Trump but actively encouraged. For weeks, the president has been turning his attention to Congress’s role in approving the presidential election results.
Since the election the courts and the states have consistently rejected the president’s claim that he won a “landslide” only to have it somehow “stolen”. Now Congress was Mr Trump’s last remaining hope.
He had agreed to address the crowds and among those waiting in the cold wearing Trump merchandise there was widespread support for his position.
Gary Dalbec had travelled seven hours from Charleston, South Carolina to attend the march. He said he hoped the presence of so many protesters would help to "expose the fraudulent election" and give Mr Trump another term in office.
"It was fraud. They’ve got the evidence, they’re hiding it. We just need the right people to expose it. The rest of the people are committing treason," he told The Telegraph. "That’s the end of the road if they certify. Today is make or break.”
The violent demonstrators are calling for the election result to be set aside
Credit: GETTY IMAGES
Susan Cardin, from Colorado, said she had been protesting outside the White House since 5am. "We’re here to save America. We’re here to stop the steal," she said.
Ms Cardin remained adamant that the huge show of support for the president would help carry him into a second term.
"I believe that Trump’s going to come out ahead, whether that’s today or in 30 days," she said. "They’ll try and do all kinds of things but he’ll still come through.”
When the president eventually spoke he unleashed a furious verbal attack on Republican congressmen who had refused to endorse his baseless claims of victory.
Police detained some protesters in the corridors outside the House Chamber
Credit: GETTY IMAGES
“They’re weak Republicans. They’re pathetic Republicans," he said at one point.
"You primary the hell out of the ones that don’t fight,” he added — referring to the move to challenge sitting congressmen for their party nominations when they seek re-election.
His defiance of election defeat was total: "We will never give up, we will never concede. It doesn’t happen. You don’t concede when there’s theft involved.”
Allies turn their backs on president
Mr Trump also repeatedly demanded that Mike Pence, who as vice president oversees the Senate procedures, somehow intervene to reject the confirmation of the election results.
“Mike Pence, I hope you’re going to stand up for the good of our Constitution and for the good of our country,” he said.
“And if you’re not, I’m going to be very disappointed in you, I will tell you right now. I’m not hearing good stories.”
The crowd cheered. And yet just as Mr Trump was uttering his demands, Mr Pence was doing the opposite — releasing a letter sent to congressmen explaining why he would not be following the president’s advice.
Members of Congress ran for cover
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It argued that he had no power to “unilaterally” throw out the decision of the people, insisting such a move would be unconstitutional.
It was a three-page letter but could be summarised in one word: No. A sitting vice president had just told his president he would not break the US Constitution on his behalf.
It was a remarkable moment in the Trump presidency, the point when Mr Pence publicly broke with Mr Trump. He will now be braced for Mr Trump’s vengeance.
But he was not alone. Shortly afterwards, once Mr Pence stepped into the chair to oversee the Senate debate that would confirm the results, Mr McConnell rose.
Trump earlier addressed the crowds, calling on them to save his election "victory"
Credit: REUTERS
The wily leader of the Republican senators, Mr McConnell has been one of Mr Trump’s most reliable political allies, helping confirm three Supreme Court justices and pass major legislation such as a $1.5 trillion tax cut.
But Mr McConnell too was about to break with the president. He said the vote was the most important he had taken in his 36 years in the US Senate.
“We’re debating a step that has never been taken in American history — whether Congress should overrule the voters and overturn a presidential election,” Mr McConnell said.
"President Trump claims the election was stolen. Nothing before us proves illegality anywhere near the massive scale that would have tipped the entire election.”
Mitch McConnell defied Donald Trump's call to overturn the result
Credit: AP
He added: "Voters, courts, the states have all spoken. They’ve all spoken. If we overrule them it would damage our republic forever.
"If this election were overturned by mere allegations from the losing side then our democracy would enter a death spiral.”
Cruz leads Republican charge
There were rebels, however. Thirteen Republican senators or senators-elect had made public their desire to object to the results before the gathering.
In the event it was Ted Cruz, the Texas senator who came close to winning the 2016 Republican nomination and is expected to try again in 2024, who led the charge.
He said large numbers of Americans believed the election was "rigged" and polls showed that included 17 per cent of Democrats.
Mr Cruz said "simply telling the voters go jump in a lake" would "jeopardise the legitimacy of this and subsequent elections.”
Mr Cruz said: "I am not arguing for setting aside the result of the election.”
Ted Cruz, second left, led a group of Republicans in challenging the election result
Credit: GETTY IMAGES
Instead, he wanted Congress to appoint an impartial electoral commission to hold an emergency 10-day audit and resolve the claims.
The move was doomed to defeat. Even before the session had started it was clear the vast majority of US senators were willing and ready to confirm Mr Biden’s victory.
Then anarchy came to Washington
But then the crowds descended. Sent on their way by Mr Trump to march up Capitol Hill from the White House, his vocal army of supporters had reached the Capitol Building.
They clashed with officers. Then some stormed the building. Congressmen were scrambled out of the chambers as reports of armed stand-offs emerged.
According to the US Capitol historical society it was the first time the Capitol had been breached since it was attacked by the British in 1814, during the War of 1812.
The first protesters reached the inside of the building around 2pm, shortly after both the Senate and the House began proceedings to certify the election results.
A police officer holds his ground inside the Capitol building
Credit: GETTY IMAGES
Photographs soon emerged of protesters having breached the Senate floor. One showed a man in a bobble hat sitting in Mr Pence’s chair, arm aloft in victory.
A curfew was declared over Washington DC. The public had been forced to stay at home as sirens blared in the city, law enforcement scrambling to stay across the evolving chaos.
By 3pm the congressional sessions to confirm Mr Biden as the next US president was yet to resume. The democratic system had ground to a halt.
Mr Biden condemned the violence and called on protesters to fall back in a statement delivered to the cameras on Wednesday afternoon (see video below):
"Let me be very clear. The scenes of chaos at the Capitol do not reflect the true America [and] do not represent who we are," he said.
“What we’re seeing are a small number of extremists dedicated to lawlessness. This is not dissent, it’s disorder. It’s chaos. It borders on sedition. And it must end now.
“I call on this mob to pull back and allow the work of democracy to go forward.”
Mr Pence issued a more forceful call for protesters to depart. "This attack on our Capitol will not be tolerated and those involved will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," he wrote on Twitter.
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