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Trump Blamed For Encouraging Capitol Riot

Washington, DC, USA —(Map)

Note: This article describes violence and an attack on the US system of government. The event 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.

The world is still struggling to understand and respond to last Wednesday’s attack on the US Capitol by rioting supporters of US President Donald Trump. Many people are focused on holding Mr. Trump responsible for his part in the event.

What Happened?
     Last Wednesday Congress met to officially count the election results of the Electoral College, which Mr. Biden won 306-232. Mr. Trump didn’t accept that he lost the election, and encouraged Republican lawmakers to protest the results. He also put pressure on Vice President Mike Pence to throw out the results – something Mr. Pence didn’t have the power to do. Mr. Pence made it clear he wouldn’t challenge the results.
     As Congress was meeting, Mr. Trump spoke to a rally of his supporters. He repeated his claim that the election was stolen, and encouraged them to march on the Capitol. The mob of rioters, many carrying weapons, broke violently into the US Capitol building, forcing lawmakers to run for safety. In the violence, five people were killed and dozens were injured.
     After many hours, the rioters were cleared, and members of Congress continued their count, finally approving the Electoral College result.

2021 storming of the United States Capitol
The world is still struggling to understand and respond to last Wednesday’s attack on the US Capitol by rioting supporters of US President Donald Trump (above). Many people are focused on holding Mr. Trump responsible for his part in the event.
(Source: Tyler Merbler [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons.)

The Capitol riot was unexpected and shocking in so many ways that there have been many different responses to it. The event has often been called an insurrection, meaning that the rioters were rising up violently against the government. Perhaps the most shocking part was that the president himself had encouraged the mob.

Though Democrats are complaining the loudest, many Republicans have also condemned Mr. Trump’s actions. Some Republican leaders even say he should step down or be removed. About 57% of Americans believe Mr. Trump should be removed immediately.

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Democrats are complaining the loudest, but many Republicans have also condemned Mr. Trump’s actions. Some Republican leaders say he should step down or be removed. Republican Senator Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania (above) says Mr. Trump should resign.

Since Mr. Biden will be sworn in on January 20, Mr. Trump only has a few days left in office anyway. But many people believe Mr. Trump is too dangerous to be trusted with the powers of the president for even this short time.

25th Amendment and Impeachment
     The US Constitution guides the way its government works. The 25th Amendment is a special change to the Constitution that outlines how a president can be removed from office, if necessary. One of those ways is if over half of the president’s Cabinet votes that the president should be removed.
     One of the jobs of Congress  is to make sure the president follows the law. Through impeachment, Congress can investigate (look into) whether the president broke any laws, and, if necessary, remove the president. Impeachment begins in the House of Representatives and, if continued, can end in a trial in the US Senate.
     Mr. Trump has already been impeached once, in 2019, but was found not guilty in the Senate.

Yesterday, Democrats in the US House of Representatives first tried to formally ask Mr. Pence to use the 25th Amendment to remove Mr. Trump from office. That move was blocked by Republican members of the House.

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House Democrats introduced a charge of “incitement of insurrection” against Mr. Trump yesterday. Congressman David Cicilline (above) said, “We have a responsibility as Congress to respond to that.”

House Democrats then introduced an article of impeachment (a charge) against Mr. Trump for “incitement of insurrection”. Describing the attack on the Capitol as an attempt to “overthrow the government”, Congressman David Cicilline said, “We have a responsibility as Congress to respond to that.”

The House will hold a full vote later this week to decide whether or not to impeach Mr. Trump. If they move ahead, Mr. Trump will become the first president to be impeached twice.

Impeaching Mr. Trump won’t remove him from office before the end of his term. If the House votes to impeach, the charge will be considered in the House and voted on. But the impeachment won’t be brought to the Senate until a new Senate session begins.

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Impeaching Mr. Trump won’t remove him from office before his term ends, but it could prevent Mr. Trump from running for office again. Above, Mr. Trump speaks to his supporters before they march on the Capitol.

At that point, Democrats will narrowly control the Senate. If Mr. Trump is found guilty in the Senate, it could prevent him from running for office again.

Still, many people believe impeaching Mr. Trump will divide the country further at a time when Mr. Biden has promised to work to bring Democrats and Republicans closer.

The reaction to Mr. Trump’s involvement in the Capitol riot drew a faster reaction from tech companies. Social media  companies such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram have cut Mr. Trump off from their services. That’s a huge change for Mr. Trump, who used Twitter constantly to communicate with his supporters.

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Social media companies such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram have cut Mr. Trump off from their services. That’s a huge change for Mr. Trump, who used Twitter constantly to communicate with his supporters.

Many of the rioters have been arrested. Many more are still being tracked down. Police say that the event was planned in advance using social media. Now many of these social media tools are also being taken down.

That hasn’t stopped Mr. Trump’s supporters from planning another large gathering in Washington. Because of this, special steps are being taken to make sure that the capital is safe, both before and during Mr. Biden’s inauguration.

This article has been updated to correct the day of the attack on the Capitol, which was Wednesday. The Electoral College count was certified early Thursday morning.

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