Press "Enter" to skip to content

Trump Supporters Break Into US Capitol, Halting Congress

Washington, DC, USA —(Map)

Note: This article describes violence and an attack on the US system of government. It raises questions that don’t have easy answers. If it brings up questions or worries for you, be sure to discuss them with an adult you trust.

Supporters of US President Donald Trump broke into the US Capitol building violently yesterday as Congress met to count the votes of the Electoral College. The mob was encouraged to go to the Capitol by Mr. Trump.

Yesterday, Congress met to officially count the election results of the Electoral College. Normally, this step in the election process doesn’t attract much attention.

😕

This image has not been loaded because of your cookie choices. To view the content, you can accept 'Non-necessary' cookies.

Yesterday, Congress met to officially count the election results of the Electoral College (above). Though President-elect Joe Biden won in the Electoral College 306 to 232, Mr. Trump has refused to admit that he lost.

This year is different. Though President-elect Joe Biden won in the Electoral College 306 to 232, Mr. Trump has refused to admit that he lost.

Mr. Trump has complained, without proof, that the election was rigged. But every state has said that their results are correct, and dozens of different courts have found no proof of any serious problems with the election.

As a last step, Mr. Trump encouraged Republican  lawmakers to protest against the Electoral College results. Though such protests are allowed, they usually only happen when there’s proof of a real problem with an election. Still, 13 senators and over 100 members of Congress said they would protest the results.

😕

This image has not been loaded because of your cookie choices. To view the content, you can accept 'Non-necessary' cookies.

Mr. Trump put great pressure on Vice President Mike Pence to throw out the results. Mr. Pence is in charge of leading the count, but he doesn’t have the power to challenge it. Above, Mr. Pence (center) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (right) yesterday.

Mr. Trump put great pressure on Vice President Mike Pence to throw out the results. Though Mr. Pence is in charge of leading the count, he doesn’t have the power to challenge it. This morning, Mr. Pence made it clear that he wouldn’t try to change the results.

Also yesterday morning, thousands of Mr. Trump’s supporters gathered in Washington to protest the election. Mr. Trump spoke to these supporters, repeating his false statements, and encouraging them to march to the Capitol.

Crowd at the Jan 6 2021 President Trump Rally.
Yesterday morning, thousands of Mr. Trump’s supporters gathered in Washington to protest the election (above). Mr. Trump spoke to these supporters, repeating his false statements, and encouraging them to march to the Capitol.
(Source: DrDannielle [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons.)

Thousands marched on the Capitol, where they began to riot. Rioters broke through barriers surrounding the Capitol building and then broke into the building itself, climbing the walls and smashing windows.

Congress had to stop the Electoral College count, and lawmakers were hurried to safety. Security guards drew guns to keep rioters away.

😕

This image has not been loaded because of your cookie choices. To view the content, you can accept 'Non-necessary' cookies.

Thousands marched on the Capitol, where they began to riot, breaking through barriers surrounding the Capitol building and then breaking into the building itself. Congress had to stop the count, and lawmakers were hurried to safety.

At first there weren’t enough police officers to deal with the situation, and the rioters took control of the building. Pictures show supporters of Mr. Trump waving flags inside as others roamed through areas normally used by members of Congress.

Washington DC Mayor Marion Bowser announced a 6 pm curfew. More police and National Guard members were brought in from nearby areas to help get the situation under control.

Though many Democratic and Republican politicians encouraged the rioters to stop and leave, Mr. Trump didn’t tell his supporters to stop until late in the day.

😕

This image has not been loaded because of your cookie choices. To view the content, you can accept 'Non-necessary' cookies.

At first there weren’t enough police officers to deal with the situation, and the rioters took control of the building. Pictures show supporters of Mr. Trump waving flags inside as others roamed through areas normally used by members of Congress.

Even then, Mr. Trump just released a short video with a mixed message. In the video, he repeated his claim that the election was stolen before telling the rioters, “You have to go home now. We have to have peace.” Later, the president added, “We love you. You’re very special.”

Last night, after police had cleared the rioters from the area and the mess inside the building was cleaned up, Congress met again to continue its work. Many Republicans who had planned to protest the election results said they’d changed their minds.

😕

This image has not been loaded because of your cookie choices. To view the content, you can accept 'Non-necessary' cookies.

Last night, after police had cleared the rioters from the area and the mess inside the building was cleaned up, Congress met again to continue its work. Many Republicans who had planned to protest the election results said they’d changed their minds.

Mr. Pence said that the rioters didn’t win. “Violence never wins,” he said. “Freedom wins.”


Did You Know…?
Because of the part Mr. Trump played in this illegal interruption of the election process, many politicians in both parties are considering whether Mr. Trump should be removed from office early. Though he only has two more weeks as president, some people believe it may be too dangerous to allow him to remain in office that long.


Update: Early Thursday morning, Congress finished counting the Electoral College votes, approving Mr. Biden’s win over Mr. Trump 306-232.

😕

This map has not been loaded because of your cookie choices. To view the content, you can accept 'Non-necessary' cookies.

Share:

Settings

Most news on NewsForKids.net is appropriate for all ages. When there is news that may not be suitable for all ages, we try to tag it. You can use the setting below to control whether content tagged in this manner is shown.