Hundreds of President Donald Trump's supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday in a bid to overturn his election defeat, occupying the symbol of American democracy and forcing Congress to suspend a session to certify President-elect Joe Biden's victory.

Trump supporters storm U.S. Capitol in a bid to overturn election defeat

The storming of the U.S. Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump on Wednesday has prompted calls by some Congressional Democrats to remove him from office before President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in on Jan. 20.

The chaotic scenes unfolded after Republican Trump, who has refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power, addressed thousands of protesters and repeated unfounded claims that the election was stolen from him.

There are two ways to remove a president from office: impeachment and the 25th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. In either scenario, Vice President Mike Pence would take over until Biden`s inauguration.

Can Trump be impeached and removed?

Yes.

A misconception about “impeachment” is that it refers to the removal of a president from office. In fact, impeachment refers only to the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of Congress, bringing charges that a president engaged in a "high crime or misdemeanor" - similar to an indictment in a criminal case.

If a simple majority of the House’s 435 members approves bringing charges, known as “articles of impeachment,” the process moves to the Senate, the upper chamber, which holds a trial to determine the president’s guilt. The Constitution requires a two-thirds vote of the Senate to convict and remove a president.

Trump was previously impeached by the Democratic-led U.S. House in December 2019 on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress stemming from his efforts to pressure Ukraine to investigate Joe and Hunter Biden. Trump was acquitted by the Republican-led Senate in February 2020.

What "high crime and misdemeanor" could Trump be accused of?

Frank Bowman, a professor of constitutional law at the University of Missouri, said Trump "arguably fomented sedition," or an attempted overthrowing of the U.S. government.

But Bowman said Trump could also be impeached for a more general offense: disloyalty to the U.S. Constitution and failing to uphold his oath of office. Congress has discretion in defining a high crime and misdemeanor and is not limited to actual criminal offenses.

"The essential offense would be one against the Constitution - one of essentially trying to undermine the lawful results of a lawfully conducted election," Bowman said.

How quickly can a president be impeached and removed from office?

Theoretically, it could be done in a day, said Bowman, adding that the House and Senate have wide latitude to set impeachment rules as they see fit.

"They could decide to impeach him tomorrow by noon and walk it over the Capitol rotunda to the Senate and make a rule to start a trial tomorrow afternoon," Bowman said. "There is no constitutional bar to that."

What`s the purpose of the 25th Amendment?

The 25th Amendment, ratified in 1967 and adopted in the wake of President John F. Kennedy`s assassination in 1963, deals with presidential succession and disability.

Section 4, which has gotten the most attention during Trump`s presidency, addresses situations where a president is unable to do the job but does not step down voluntarily.

For this to happen, Pence and the majority of Trump`s Cabinet would need to declare Trump unable to perform the duties of the presidency and remove him.

Trump could subsequently at any time declare that he was no longer disabled. After four days, if Pence and the majority of the Cabinet do not contest

Trump`s determination, Trump regains power. If they dispute the president`s declaration, the issue is decided by Congress. If both chambers determine by a two-thirds majority that Trump is incapacitated, Pence would continue to discharge the duties of the presidency.

Bowman of the University of Missouri said the history of the 25th Amendment makes clear it was intended for instances in which a president is incapacitated and unable to serve, such as physical or mental illness.

Bowman said that, as a political matter, there is little to no chance of the amendment being invoked because Pence would be reluctant to do so and because there are strong arguments that Trump is not incapacitated so much as unfit for office.

The storming of the U.S. Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump on Wednesday has prompted calls by some Congressional Democrats to remove him from office before President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in on Jan.

The storming of the U.S. Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump on Wednesday has prompted calls by some Congressional Democrats to remove him from office before President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in on Jan. 20. The chaotic scenes unfolded after Republican Trump, who has refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power, addressed thousands of protesters and repeated unfounded claims that the election was stolen from him. There are two ways to remove a president from office: impeachment and the 25th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. In either scenario, Vice President Mike Pence would take over until Biden`s inauguration. Can Trump be impeached and removed? Yes. A misconception about “impeachment” is that it refers to the removal of a president from office. In fact, impeachment refers only to the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of Congress, bringing charges that a president engaged in a "high crime or misdemeanor" - similar to an indictment in a criminal case. If a simple majority of the House’s 435 members approves bringing charges, known as “articles of impeachment,” the process moves to the Senate, the upper chamber, which holds a trial to determine the president’s guilt. The Constitution requires a two-thirds vote of the Senate to convict and remove a president. Trump was previously impeached by the Democratic-led U.S. House in December 2019 on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress stemming from his efforts to pressure Ukraine to investigate Joe and Hunter Biden. Trump was acquitted by the Republican-led Senate in February 2020. What "high crime and misdemeanor" could Trump be accused of? Frank Bowman, a professor of constitutional law at the University of Missouri, said Trump "arguably fomented sedition," or an attempted overthrowing of the U.S. government. But Bowman said Trump could also be impeached for a more general offense: disloyalty to the U.S. Constitution and failing to uphold his oath of office. Congress has discretion in defining a high crime and misdemeanor and is not limited to actual criminal offenses. "The essential offense would be one against the Constitution - one of essentially trying to undermine the lawful results of a lawfully conducted election," Bowman said. How quickly can a president be impeached and removed from office? Theoretically, it could be done in a day, said Bowman, adding that the House and Senate have wide latitude to set impeachment rules as they see fit. "They could decide to impeach him tomorrow by noon and walk it over the Capitol rotunda to the Senate and make a rule to start a trial tomorrow afternoon," Bowman said. "There is no constitutional bar to that." What`s the purpose of the 25th Amendment? The 25th Amendment, ratified in 1967 and adopted in the wake of President John F. Kennedy`s assassination in 1963, deals with presidential succession and disability. Section 4, which has gotten the most attention during Trump`s presidency, addresses situations where a president is unable to do the job but does not step down voluntarily. For this to happen, Pence and the majority of Trump`s Cabinet would need to declare Trump unable to perform the duties of the presidency and remove him. Trump could subsequently at any time declare that he was no longer disabled. After four days, if Pence and the majority of the Cabinet do not contest Trump`s determination, Trump regains power. If they dispute the president`s declaration, the issue is decided by Congress. If both chambers determine by a two-thirds majority that Trump is incapacitated, Pence would continue to discharge the duties of the presidency. Bowman of the University of Missouri said the history of the 25th Amendment makes clear it was intended for instances in which a president is incapacitated and unable to serve, such as physical or mental illness. Bowman said that, as a political matter, there is little to no chance of the amendment being invoked because Pence would be reluctant to do so and because there are strong arguments that Trump is not incapacitated so much as unfit for office.

Can Trump be removed from office before his term ends on January 20?

Congress debates certification of Biden's win after Trump supporters storm US Capitol

Pro-Trump protesters tried to interrupt the certification of Joe Biden's electoral college win. During the Capitol riots, a woman shot dead too.

Pro-Trump protesters halt Biden's electoral college certification, hold violent protests

Facebook barred US President Donald Trump from posting Wednesday over messages it said were promoting violence as his supporters stormed the US Capitol -- following a similar stand taken by Twitter.

The sanctions came after the president took to social media to issue a series of false claims -- including in a short video -- about the election he lost to Joe Biden having been stolen from him.

"We made the decision that on balance these posts contribute to, rather than diminish, the risk of ongoing violence," Facebook said.

The California-based social media giant said it was handing Trump "a 24-hour feature block" preventing him from posting.

Twitter also locked Trump's account for 12 hours and threatened its permanent suspension, as tech giants scrambled to crack down on his baseless claims about the US presidential election.

The social media platform hid and required the removal of three of Trump's tweets "as a result of the unprecedented and ongoing violent situation in Washington, D.C."

If the tweets are not removed, the account would remain locked, Twitter said, meaning the president would be unable to tweet from @realDonaldTrump.

Facebook Inc and YouTube, owned by Alphabet's Google, also removed a video in which Trump continued to allege the presidential election was fraudulent even as he urged protesters, who had stormed the Capitol to force Congress to undo his loss to Democratic President-elect Joe Biden, to go home.

Both Facebook and Twitter had originally added labels and measures to slow the video's spread.

Tech companies have been under pressure to police misinformation on their platforms around the US election, including through calls by users on Wednesday for major platforms to suspend Trump's accounts.

The president and his allies have continuously spread unsubstantiated claims of election fraud that have proliferated online. Trump on Wednesday blamed Vice President Mike Pence for lacking "courage" to pursue those claims in a tweet that Twitter later took down.

Facebook barred US President Donald Trump from posting Wednesday over messages it said were promoting violence as his supporters stormed the US Capitol -- following a similar stand taken by Twitter.

Facebook barred US President Donald Trump from posting Wednesday over messages it said were promoting violence as his supporters stormed the US Capitol -- following a similar stand taken by Twitter. The sanctions came after the president took to social media to issue a series of false claims -- including in a short video -- about the election he lost to Joe Biden having been stolen from him. "We made the decision that on balance these posts contribute to, rather than diminish, the risk of ongoing violence," Facebook said. The California-based social media giant said it was handing Trump "a 24-hour feature block" preventing him from posting. Twitter also locked Trump's account for 12 hours and threatened its permanent suspension, as tech giants scrambled to crack down on his baseless claims about the US presidential election. The social media platform hid and required the removal of three of Trump's tweets "as a result of the unprecedented and ongoing violent situation in Washington, D.C." If the tweets are not removed, the account would remain locked, Twitter said, meaning the president would be unable to tweet from @realDonaldTrump. Facebook Inc and YouTube, owned by Alphabet's Google, also removed a video in which Trump continued to allege the presidential election was fraudulent even as he urged protesters, who had stormed the Capitol to force Congress to undo his loss to Democratic President-elect Joe Biden, to go home. Both Facebook and Twitter had originally added labels and measures to slow the video's spread. Tech companies have been under pressure to police misinformation on their platforms around the US election, including through calls by users on Wednesday for major platforms to suspend Trump's accounts. The president and his allies have continuously spread unsubstantiated claims of election fraud that have proliferated online. Trump on Wednesday blamed Vice President Mike Pence for lacking "courage" to pursue those claims in a tweet that Twitter later took down.

Facebook blocks Trump from posting for 24 hours over policy violations

The woman who died during a violent rally at the US Capitol was an air force veteran and long time supporter of President Donald Trump.&nbsp;

Ashli Babbitt came to Washington from San Diego, her husband told the local news station KUSI, adding that she was a passionate supporter of Trump, reports The Guardian.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;

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Four people died on Wednesday, but Washington police chief Robert Contee said only Babbitt lost her life due to the violence caused in the rally.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-finally-concedes-defeat-pledges-orderly-transition-after-congress-affirms-biden-win-355120">Trump finally concedes defeat, pledges 'orderly transition' after Congress affirms Biden win</a>

The 35-year-old had also served the US Air Force and was shot dead amid the unrest that erupted after protesters stormed the Capitol building due to which some security personnel used their guns to control the violent mob.&nbsp;

In her Twitter account's bio, Babbitt noted her love for her country and recently retweeted messages in Trump's support and those participating in Wednesday's rally.&nbsp;

Her Twitter account was filled with posts that supported Trump and denounced the presidential election in November.&nbsp;

"Nothing will stop us....they can try and try and try but the storm is here and it is descending upon DC in less than 24 hours....dark to light!", she tweeted on Tuesday.&nbsp;

Her mother-in-law reportedly told KUSI that she doesn't know why the military veteran decided to participate in the rally.&nbsp;

The woman who died during a violent rally at the US Capitol was an air force veteran and long time supporter of President Donald Trump. Ashli Babbitt came to Washington from San Diego, her husband told the local news station KUSI, adding that she was a passionate supporter of Trump, reports The Guardian.

The woman who died during a violent rally at the US Capitol was an air force veteran and long time supporter of President Donald Trump. Ashli Babbitt came to Washington from San Diego, her husband told the local news station KUSI, adding that she was a passionate supporter of Trump, reports The Guardian. Watch | Four people died on Wednesday, but Washington police chief Robert Contee said only Babbitt lost her life due to the violence caused in the rally. Also read | Trump finally concedes defeat, pledges 'orderly transition' after Congress affirms Biden win The 35-year-old had also served the US Air Force and was shot dead amid the unrest that erupted after protesters stormed the Capitol building due to which some security personnel used their guns to control the violent mob. In her Twitter account's bio, Babbitt noted her love for her country and recently retweeted messages in Trump's support and those participating in Wednesday's rally. Her Twitter account was filled with posts that supported Trump and denounced the presidential election in November. "Nothing will stop us....they can try and try and try but the storm is here and it is descending upon DC in less than 24 hours....dark to light!", she tweeted on Tuesday. Her mother-in-law reportedly told KUSI that she doesn't know why the military veteran decided to participate in the rally.

Woman shot dead in US capitol violence was strong Trump supporter and military veteran

A woman who was shot inside of the US Capitol on Wednesday has died, the Washington DC Police has confirmed. This comes after pro-Trump protesters charged the building as Congress began counting the Electoral College votes.&nbsp; 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/woman-shot-during-riot-inside-the-us-capitol-building-has-died-police-354962">Also read | Donald Trump supporters storm US Capitol building during Joe Biden certification</a> 
 
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.

"Yes, the adult female that was shot inside of the Capitol was pronounced dead at an area hospital," said spokesperson Dustin Sternbeck with the Metropolitan Police Department. 
 
Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/capitol-hill-violence-president-trump-step-up-and-end-this-says-biden-354948">Capitol Hill violence: President Trump 'step up' and end this, says Biden</a>

The woman's name was not released. Video posted on social media showed a crowd inside the Capitol, a gunshot was heard and then the woman, wearing a Trump banner around her neck, lowered to the ground.&nbsp;

She could later be seen being loaded into an ambulance with blood around her upper body, according to Washington Post.

The chaotic and violent scene unfolded at the Capitol on Wednesday as supporters of President Donald Trump swarmed the building to protest the Electoral College vote, forcing a lockdown and various confrontations with police, reported The Hill.

Rioters overpowered police and broke into the Capitol to protest as a joint session of Congress convened to certify President-elect Joe Biden`s win.&nbsp;

Multiple officers were injured in the scuffle.

"I am appalled by the reckless behaviour of some political leaders since the election and by the lack of respect shown today for our institutions, our traditions, and our law enforcement," said former US President George W Bush.

Several lawmakers called on Trump to condemn the actions of his supporters.In a one-minute video on Twitter, Trump urged his supporters to `go home`, while reiterating his unproven allegations that the recently-concluded presidential election was fraudulent` and `stolen`.

"I know you are pained, I know you are hurt. We had an election that was stolen from us. That was a landslide election and everyone knows it, especially the other side. But you have to go home now. We have to have peace. We’ve to have law and order. We don`t want anybody hurt," he said.

(With inputs from agencies)

A woman who was shot inside of the US Capitol on Wednesday has died, the Washington DC Police has confirmed. This comes after pro-Trump protesters charged the building as Congress began counting the Electoral College votes.

A woman who was shot inside of the US Capitol on Wednesday has died, the Washington DC Police has confirmed. This comes after pro-Trump protesters charged the building as Congress began counting the Electoral College votes. Also read | Donald Trump supporters storm US Capitol building during Joe Biden certification 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. "Yes, the adult female that was shot inside of the Capitol was pronounced dead at an area hospital," said spokesperson Dustin Sternbeck with the Metropolitan Police Department. Also read: Capitol Hill violence: President Trump 'step up' and end this, says Biden The woman's name was not released. Video posted on social media showed a crowd inside the Capitol, a gunshot was heard and then the woman, wearing a Trump banner around her neck, lowered to the ground. She could later be seen being loaded into an ambulance with blood around her upper body, according to Washington Post. The chaotic and violent scene unfolded at the Capitol on Wednesday as supporters of President Donald Trump swarmed the building to protest the Electoral College vote, forcing a lockdown and various confrontations with police, reported The Hill. Rioters overpowered police and broke into the Capitol to protest as a joint session of Congress convened to certify President-elect Joe Biden`s win. Multiple officers were injured in the scuffle. "I am appalled by the reckless behaviour of some political leaders since the election and by the lack of respect shown today for our institutions, our traditions, and our law enforcement," said former US President George W Bush. Several lawmakers called on Trump to condemn the actions of his supporters.In a one-minute video on Twitter, Trump urged his supporters to `go home`, while reiterating his unproven allegations that the recently-concluded presidential election was fraudulent` and `stolen`. "I know you are pained, I know you are hurt. We had an election that was stolen from us. That was a landslide election and everyone knows it, especially the other side. But you have to go home now. We have to have peace. We’ve to have law and order. We don`t want anybody hurt," he said. (With inputs from agencies)

Woman shot during riot inside the US Capitol building has died: Police

Microblogging site Twitter has locked US president Trump’s account for 12 hours and threatened to permanently ban him from the platform for flouting its civic integrity rules, ordering him to remove three rule-breaking tweets.

Twitter said that it had required the removal of at least three of Trump's tweets that were posted earlier regarding the situation in Washington.

"As a result of the unprecedented and ongoing violent situation in Washington, DC, we have required the removal of three @realDonaldTrump Tweets that were posted earlier today for repeated and severe violations of our Civic Integrity policy," Twitter said in a post.

"If the Tweets are not removed, the account will remain locked."

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As a result of the unprecedented and ongoing violent situation in Washington, D.C., we have required the removal of three <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> Tweets that were posted earlier today for repeated and severe violations of our Civic Integrity policy. <a href="https://t.co/k6OkjNG3bM">https://t.co/k6OkjNG3bM</a>
— Twitter Safety (@TwitterSafety) <a href="https://twitter.com/TwitterSafety/status/1346970430062485505?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The decision comes after Trump tweeted a video that Twitter said posed a “risk of violence.”

Twitter also said that it will continue to evaluate the situation, including examining activity on the ground and statements made off Twitter.

For the first time, Twitter officially removed three of Trump's tweets, where he spoke on the violent protests at the US Capitol, while another deleted tweet had him saying Vice President Mike Pence lacked the "courage" to do what was necessary.

The removal comes after Facebook and YouTube removed Trump's video to supporters, and amid calls by the Anti-Defamation League and the NAACP for Trump's social media accounts to be suspended outright, reported CNN.

In a tweet, Facebook's VP of integrity Guy Rosen called this 'an emergency situation', and said that the video contributes to 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," tweeted Rosen.

In the one-minute video on Twitter, Trump said: "I know you are pained, I know you are hurt. We had an election that was stolen from us. That was a landslide election and everyone knows it, especially the other side. But you have to go home now. We have to have peace. We've to have law and order. We don't want anybody hurt."

"This was a fraudulent election, but we can't play in the hands of these people. We have to have peace. So go home. We love you. You're very special. You've seen what happens. You see the way others are treated that are so bad and so evil. I know how you feel. But go home and go home in peace," he added.

The tweet was immediately flagged by the microblogging site as the claim of election fraud was disputed. Twitter also restricted the post from being liked, retweeted or replied to, due to a risk of stoking violence.

This comes amid a violent and unprecedented situation in Washington where Trump supporters stormed in the Capitol building, seeking to overturn the Electoral vote count that certified President-elect Joe Biden's victory. The scuffle led to several people being injured, a lockdown of the Capitol building and evacuation of the Congressional buildings.

(With inputs from agencies)

Microblogging site Twitter has locked US president Trump’s account for 12 hours and threatened to permanently ban him from the platform for flouting its civic integrity rules, ordering him to remove three rule-breaking tweets.

Microblogging site Twitter has locked US president Trump’s account for 12 hours and threatened to permanently ban him from the platform for flouting its civic integrity rules, ordering him to remove three rule-breaking tweets. Twitter said that it had required the removal of at least three of Trump's tweets that were posted earlier regarding the situation in Washington. "As a result of the unprecedented and ongoing violent situation in Washington, DC, we have required the removal of three @realDonaldTrump Tweets that were posted earlier today for repeated and severe violations of our Civic Integrity policy," Twitter said in a post. "If the Tweets are not removed, the account will remain locked." As a result of the unprecedented and ongoing violent situation in Washington, D.C., we have required the removal of three @realDonaldTrump Tweets that were posted earlier today for repeated and severe violations of our Civic Integrity policy. https://t.co/k6OkjNG3bM — Twitter Safety (@TwitterSafety) January 7, 2021 × The decision comes after Trump tweeted a video that Twitter said posed a “risk of violence.” Twitter also said that it will continue to evaluate the situation, including examining activity on the ground and statements made off Twitter. For the first time, Twitter officially removed three of Trump's tweets, where he spoke on the violent protests at the US Capitol, while another deleted tweet had him saying Vice President Mike Pence lacked the "courage" to do what was necessary. The removal comes after Facebook and YouTube removed Trump's video to supporters, and amid calls by the Anti-Defamation League and the NAACP for Trump's social media accounts to be suspended outright, reported CNN. In a tweet, Facebook's VP of integrity Guy Rosen called this 'an emergency situation', and said that the video contributes to 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," tweeted Rosen. In the one-minute video on Twitter, Trump said: "I know you are pained, I know you are hurt. We had an election that was stolen from us. That was a landslide election and everyone knows it, especially the other side. But you have to go home now. We have to have peace. We've to have law and order. We don't want anybody hurt." "This was a fraudulent election, but we can't play in the hands of these people. We have to have peace. So go home. We love you. You're very special. You've seen what happens. You see the way others are treated that are so bad and so evil. I know how you feel. But go home and go home in peace," he added. The tweet was immediately flagged by the microblogging site as the claim of election fraud was disputed. Twitter also restricted the post from being liked, retweeted or replied to, due to a risk of stoking violence. This comes amid a violent and unprecedented situation in Washington where Trump supporters stormed in the Capitol building, seeking to overturn the Electoral vote count that certified President-elect Joe Biden's victory. The scuffle led to several people being injured, a lockdown of the Capitol building and evacuation of the Congressional buildings. (With inputs from agencies)

Twitter blocks Trump, threatens permanent ban over inciting violence

Unprecedented scenes were witnessed at Capitol Hill as hundreds of Donald Trump supporters surrounded and stormed the Capitol Building just when US lawmakers were gathered to certify Joe Biden's victory in US Presidential Elections 2020.

As Trump supporters surged through halls of the Congress, both the Houses were forced to halt proceedings. US Congress members were evacuated. Security inside the Congress had to even draw guns to deter the protesters.One protester occupied the Senate dais and yelled, "Trump won that election." Protesters overturned barricades and clashed with police as thousands descended on the Capitol grounds.

<img alt="US Capitol hill violence" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a5850403-7e80-4ba2-a668-0b5131d2c194" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/000_8YA9D3.jpg" />

Video showed protesters breaking windows and police deploying teargas inside the building. Local media reported that one person had been shot and video showed a person being wheeled from the building on a stretcher.

Vice President Mike Pence, who had presided over the joint session of Congress, had already been escorted from the Senate.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/democrats-take-control-of-us-senate-as-they-win-second-race-in-georgia-354952">Democrats take control of U.S. Senate as they win second race in Georgia</a> 
 
The chaotic scenes unfolded after Trump, who before the election refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he lost, addressed thousands of protesters, repeating unfounded claims that the contest was stolen from him due to widespread election fraud and irregularities.&nbsp;

<img alt="US Capitol hill violence" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="186b705b-69e1-486d-93b7-f2a18638f16e" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/000_8YA8P8.jpg" />

Lawmakers had been debating a last-ditch effort by pro-Trump lawmakers to challenge the results, an effort that was unlikely to succeed.

After situation at the Capitol Hill areas grew tense and violent, Washington Mayor&nbsp;Muriel Bowser ordered a citywide curfew of 6 pm local time (2300 GMT)

This is an 'insurrection': Joe Biden

US President-elect in a LIVE address to the media denounced the event as an "insurrection". He said that this was not a protest.

"I call on President Trump to go on national television now to... demand an end to this siege," Biden said. "To storm the Capitol, to smash windows, to occupy offices, the floor of the United States Senate... threatening the safety of duly elected officials? It's not a protest, it's insurrection."

He asked President Trump to "step up" to end the violence.

Shortly after his LIVE address Trump tweeted a recorded video and asked his supporters to "go home" but also said that he loved them.

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&nbsp;

Police overwhelmed

The security around the Capitol Building was beefed up anyway as the US Congress session was set to take place but sheer number of hundreds of Trump supporters overwhelmed police and other security services.

After the situation worsened, US National Guard was mobilised in Washington and neighboring states.

International condemnation

Developments at Capitol Hill drew international attention.

"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," tweeted UK PM Boris Johnson.

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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.
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) <a href="https://twitter.com/BorisJohnson/status/1346926138057220103?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2021</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

&nbsp;French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian termed the developments "attack against&nbsp;democracy"

"The violent acts against American institutions are a grave attack against democracy. I condemn them. The American people's will and vote must be respected," he tweeted.

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The violent acts against American institutions are a grave attack against democracy. I condemn them. The American people's will and vote must be respected
— Jean-Yves Le Drian (@JY_LeDrian) <a href="https://twitter.com/JY_LeDrian/status/1346945178561609728?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2021</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said that the situation in US was "shocking"

"Shocking scenes in Washington, D.C. The outcome of this democratic election must be respected," he tweeted.

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Shocking scenes in Washington, D.C. The outcome of this democratic election must be respected.
— Jens Stoltenberg (@jensstoltenberg) <a href="https://twitter.com/jensstoltenberg/status/1346917585535823872?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2021</a></blockquote>
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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.

(With agency inputs)

Unprecedented scenes were witnessed at Capitol Hill as hundreds of Donald Trump supporters surrounded and stormed the Capitol Building just when US lawmakers were gathered to certify Joe Biden's victory in US Presidential Elections 2020.

Unprecedented scenes were witnessed at Capitol Hill as hundreds of Donald Trump supporters surrounded and stormed the Capitol Building just when US lawmakers were gathered to certify Joe Biden's victory in US Presidential Elections 2020. As Trump supporters surged through halls of the Congress, both the Houses were forced to halt proceedings. US Congress members were evacuated. Security inside the Congress had to even draw guns to deter the protesters.One protester occupied the Senate dais and yelled, "Trump won that election." Protesters overturned barricades and clashed with police as thousands descended on the Capitol grounds. Video showed protesters breaking windows and police deploying teargas inside the building. Local media reported that one person had been shot and video showed a person being wheeled from the building on a stretcher. Vice President Mike Pence, who had presided over the joint session of Congress, had already been escorted from the Senate. Also Read | Democrats take control of U.S. Senate as they win second race in Georgia The chaotic scenes unfolded after Trump, who before the election refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he lost, addressed thousands of protesters, repeating unfounded claims that the contest was stolen from him due to widespread election fraud and irregularities. Lawmakers had been debating a last-ditch effort by pro-Trump lawmakers to challenge the results, an effort that was unlikely to succeed. After situation at the Capitol Hill areas grew tense and violent, Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser ordered a citywide curfew of 6 pm local time (2300 GMT) This is an 'insurrection': Joe Biden US President-elect in a LIVE address to the media denounced the event as an "insurrection". He said that this was not a protest. "I call on President Trump to go on national television now to... demand an end to this siege," Biden said. "To storm the Capitol, to smash windows, to occupy offices, the floor of the United States Senate... threatening the safety of duly elected officials? It's not a protest, it's insurrection." He asked President Trump to "step up" to end the violence. Shortly after his LIVE address Trump tweeted a recorded video and asked his supporters to "go home" but also said that he loved them. pic.twitter.com/Pm2PKV0Fp3 — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2021 × Police overwhelmed The security around the Capitol Building was beefed up anyway as the US Congress session was set to take place but sheer number of hundreds of Trump supporters overwhelmed police and other security services. After the situation worsened, US National Guard was mobilised in Washington and neighboring states. International condemnation Developments at Capitol Hill drew international attention. "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," tweeted UK PM Boris Johnson. 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. — Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) January 6, 2021 × French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian termed the developments "attack against democracy" "The violent acts against American institutions are a grave attack against democracy. I condemn them. The American people's will and vote must be respected," he tweeted. The violent acts against American institutions are a grave attack against democracy. I condemn them. The American people's will and vote must be respected — Jean-Yves Le Drian (@JY_LeDrian) January 6, 2021 × NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said that the situation in US was "shocking" "Shocking scenes in Washington, D.C. The outcome of this democratic election must be respected," he tweeted. Shocking scenes in Washington, D.C. The outcome of this democratic election must be respected. — Jens Stoltenberg (@jensstoltenberg) January 6, 2021 × 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. (With agency inputs)

Donald Trump supporters storm US Capitol building during Joe Biden certification

Congress completed its Electoral College process shortly before 4 a.m. after debating and rejecting two objections to electoral votes from the states of Arizona and Pennsylvania.

US Presidential elections | Congress affirms Joe Biden's 306-electoral vote win | Donald Trump

A visibly distraught but steely US President-elect Joe Biden appeared on US television and asked President Donald Trump to "step-up" and end the violent and unprecedented development at US Capitol Hill involving Trump supporters breaking into Capitol Hill to disrupt certification of Biden. Capitol Hill was a scene of unprecedented and surprsing events as Donald Trump-supporters stormed the area and broke into Capitol Building while US Lawmakers were certifying US Presidential Election 2020.

"This is not protest, this is insurrection," said Biden during his address.

"This has to end now," he added.

"At this hour, our democracy is under unprecedented assault," the veteran Democrat said in Wilmington, after hundreds of Trump supporters protesting his election defeat swarmed the Capitol building and put the nation's lawmakers at risk.

Shortly after Biden's LIVE address to media,&nbsp;Donald Trump tweeted a recorded video message in which he was seen asking his supporters to "go home" but he also said that he loved them.

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<a href="https://t.co/Pm2PKV0Fp3">pic.twitter.com/Pm2PKV0Fp3</a>
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Hundreds of Trump supporters gathered near the Capitol Building and broke in during early hours of Thursday, January 7 (Indian time). The situation went so out of hand that security persons inside the building had to&nbsp;draw guns.

Prior to that US Senate and House of Representatives went into an emergency recess.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/democrats-take-control-of-us-senate-as-they-win-second-race-in-georgia-354952">Democrats take control of U.S. Senate as they win second race in Georgia</a>

An AFP photographer described a smoky substance in the air in the large circular space under the Capitol dome as 100 or more protesters gathered.

"Police have asked us to get gas masks out as there has been tear gas used in the rotunda," House Democrat Jim Himes said on Twitter.

A visibly distraught but steely US President-elect Joe Biden appeared on US television and asked President Donald Trump to "step-up" and end the violent and unprecedented development at US Capitol Hill involving Trump supporters breaking into Capitol Hill to disrupt certification of Biden.

A visibly distraught but steely US President-elect Joe Biden appeared on US television and asked President Donald Trump to "step-up" and end the violent and unprecedented development at US Capitol Hill involving Trump supporters breaking into Capitol Hill to disrupt certification of Biden. Capitol Hill was a scene of unprecedented and surprsing events as Donald Trump-supporters stormed the area and broke into Capitol Building while US Lawmakers were certifying US Presidential Election 2020. "This is not protest, this is insurrection," said Biden during his address. "This has to end now," he added. "At this hour, our democracy is under unprecedented assault," the veteran Democrat said in Wilmington, after hundreds of Trump supporters protesting his election defeat swarmed the Capitol building and put the nation's lawmakers at risk. Shortly after Biden's LIVE address to media, Donald Trump tweeted a recorded video message in which he was seen asking his supporters to "go home" but he also said that he loved them. pic.twitter.com/Pm2PKV0Fp3 — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2021 × Hundreds of Trump supporters gathered near the Capitol Building and broke in during early hours of Thursday, January 7 (Indian time). The situation went so out of hand that security persons inside the building had to draw guns. Prior to that US Senate and House of Representatives went into an emergency recess. Also Read | Democrats take control of U.S. Senate as they win second race in Georgia An AFP photographer described a smoky substance in the air in the large circular space under the Capitol dome as 100 or more protesters gathered. "Police have asked us to get gas masks out as there has been tear gas used in the rotunda," House Democrat Jim Himes said on Twitter.

Capitol Hill violence: President Trump 'step up' and end this, says Biden

An Indian flag was spotted at the pro-Trump rally outside the US Capitol in Washington on Friday.&nbsp;

Amid the massive protests, which saw people carrying flags of the United States and of 'Trump 2020' and 'Trump 2024', one person also waived Indian tricolour.

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-finally-concedes-defeat-pledges-orderly-transition-after-congress-affirms-biden-win-355120">Trump finally concedes defeat, pledges 'orderly transition' after Congress affirms Biden win</a>

The video of this incident went viral, with several people criticising the act as it was the US's internal matter and the protesters caused vandalisation in the Capitol Hill.&nbsp;

A user wrote that he appreciates "national pride", but the act is "ridiculous".

"What moron was waving the Indian flag there????? I'm all for national pride but this is ridiculous," he wrote on Twitter.

BJP Member of Parliament Varun Gandhi also slammed the act, saying it's a "fight, we definitely don't need to participate in".

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Why is there an Indian flag there??? This is one fight we definitely don’t need to participate in... <a href="https://t.co/1dP2KtgHvf">pic.twitter.com/1dP2KtgHvf</a>
— Varun Gandhi (@varungandhi80) <a href="https://twitter.com/varungandhi80/status/1347060127845634053?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Senior Shiv Sena leader Priyanka Chaturvedi said one must feel "ashamed" for holding the tricolour "in such violent &amp; criminal acts in another country".&nbsp;

"Whoever is waving this Indian flag should feel ashamed. Don't use our tricolour to participate in such violent &amp; criminal acts in another country," Chaturvedi wrote on Twitter.&nbsp;

Here are more comments.

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This Indian flag amongst this mob is very disturbing. Punish the culprit for disrespecting my country's flag. <a href="https://t.co/m93tyLTrrI">https://t.co/m93tyLTrrI</a>
— ElsaMarie D'Silva (she/her) (@elsamariedsilva) <a href="https://twitter.com/elsamariedsilva/status/1347135026610126848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Does the person with the Indian flag even *know* what they’re doing? <a href="https://t.co/6NWiKNIBMd">https://t.co/6NWiKNIBMd</a>
— Ew 2020! (@itsmethemaniacc) <a href="https://twitter.com/itsmethemaniacc/status/1347112547254640642?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2021</a></blockquote>
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But, in a hilarious post, comedian Vir Das advised the flag bearer that a large crowd does not imply a "cricket match".&nbsp;

"Dear random Indian dude waving Indian flag at the #CapitolRiots. Every large crowd IS NOT A CRICKET MATCH," Das tweeted.

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Dear random Indian dude waving Indian flag at the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CapitolRiots?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CapitolRiots</a> 
Every large crowd IS NOT A CRICKET MATCH!
— Vir Das (@thevirdas) <a href="https://twitter.com/thevirdas/status/1347070675157184513?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Meanwhile, following pro-Trump protesters storming the Capitol Hill which caused mayhem, US Congress finally certified Joe Biden as the winner of 2020 presidential election.

President Donald Trump also conceded his defeat, despite implying that the election was not fair, saying there will be an "orderly transition".&nbsp;

"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.&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

An Indian flag was spotted at the pro-Trump rally outside the US Capitol in Washington on Friday. Amid the massive protests, which saw people carrying flags of the United States and of 'Trump 2020' and 'Trump 2024', one person also waived Indian tricolour.

An Indian flag was spotted at the pro-Trump rally outside the US Capitol in Washington on Friday. Amid the massive protests, which saw people carrying flags of the United States and of 'Trump 2020' and 'Trump 2024', one person also waived Indian tricolour. Also read | Trump finally concedes defeat, pledges 'orderly transition' after Congress affirms Biden win The video of this incident went viral, with several people criticising the act as it was the US's internal matter and the protesters caused vandalisation in the Capitol Hill. A user wrote that he appreciates "national pride", but the act is "ridiculous". "What moron was waving the Indian flag there????? I'm all for national pride but this is ridiculous," he wrote on Twitter. BJP Member of Parliament Varun Gandhi also slammed the act, saying it's a "fight, we definitely don't need to participate in". Why is there an Indian flag there??? This is one fight we definitely don’t need to participate in... pic.twitter.com/1dP2KtgHvf — Varun Gandhi (@varungandhi80) January 7, 2021 × Senior Shiv Sena leader Priyanka Chaturvedi said one must feel "ashamed" for holding the tricolour "in such violent & criminal acts in another country". "Whoever is waving this Indian flag should feel ashamed. Don't use our tricolour to participate in such violent & criminal acts in another country," Chaturvedi wrote on Twitter. Here are more comments. This Indian flag amongst this mob is very disturbing. Punish the culprit for disrespecting my country's flag. https://t.co/m93tyLTrrI — ElsaMarie D'Silva (she/her) (@elsamariedsilva) January 7, 2021 × Does the person with the Indian flag even *know* what they’re doing? https://t.co/6NWiKNIBMd — Ew 2020! (@itsmethemaniacc) January 7, 2021 × But, in a hilarious post, comedian Vir Das advised the flag bearer that a large crowd does not imply a "cricket match". "Dear random Indian dude waving Indian flag at the #CapitolRiots. Every large crowd IS NOT A CRICKET MATCH," Das tweeted. Dear random Indian dude waving Indian flag at the #CapitolRiots Every large crowd IS NOT A CRICKET MATCH! — Vir Das (@thevirdas) January 7, 2021 × Meanwhile, following pro-Trump protesters storming the Capitol Hill which caused mayhem, US Congress finally certified Joe Biden as the winner of 2020 presidential election. President Donald Trump also conceded his defeat, despite implying that the election was not fair, saying there will be an "orderly transition". "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.

Video of Indian flag spotted in pro-Trump rally at US Capitol goes viral

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday expressed shock and outrage at the storming of the US Capitol in Washington by supporters of President Donald Trump.

Modi, who is believed to have been good friends with Trump, posted on Twitter: "Distressed to see news about rioting and violence in Washington DC. Orderly and peaceful transfer of power must continue. The democratic process cannot be allowed to be subverted through unlawful protests."

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Distressed to see news about rioting and violence in Washington DC. Orderly and peaceful transfer of power must continue. The democratic process cannot be allowed to be subverted through unlawful protests.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1347009724789653508?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Other world leaders also condemned the disgraceful scenes at the&nbsp;US Congress.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said 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".

British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab added in his own tweet: "The US rightly takes great pride in its democracy, and there can be no justification for these violent attempts to frustrate the lawful and proper transition of power."

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Disappointed to hear of delays in arrival to China of the independent WHO team investigating COVID-19 origins. International community including China agreed to this scientific investigation. It must be open, robust &amp; the WHO team must be able to travel as soon as possible
— Dominic Raab (@DominicRaab) <a href="https://twitter.com/DominicRaab/status/1346912068939743236?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The EU's foreign policy chief condemned an "assault on US democracy".

"In the eyes of the world, American democracy tonight appears under siege," Josep Borrell tweeted.

Calling the action an "assault on US democracy, its institutions and the rule of law", he added: "This is not America. The election results of 3 November must be fully respected."

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian condemned "a serious attack on democracy".

"The violence against American institutions are a serious attack on democracy. I condemn it," Le Drian tweeted. "The will and the votes of the American people must be respected."

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas called on Trump supporters to "stop trampling on democracy".

"Trump and his supporters should finally accept the decision of American voters and stop trampling on democracy," Maas tweeted.

"The enemies of democracy will be pleased to see these incredible images from Washington DC," he added. "Inflammatory words turn into violent actions."

German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz, who is also the vice chancellor, likewise condemned the "disturbing images" from Washington.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted that the scenes at the US Capitol were an "attack on democracy.

"Canadians are deeply disturbed and saddened by the attack on democracy in the United States, our closest ally and neighbour," he said.

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Canadians are deeply disturbed and saddened by the attack on democracy in the United States, our closest ally and neighbour. Violence will never succeed in overruling the will of the people. Democracy in the US must be upheld - and it will be.
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) <a href="https://twitter.com/JustinTrudeau/status/1346959061862912004?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Australian PM Scott Morrison condemned the "very distressing scenes" in the US.

"We condemn these acts of violence and look forward to a peaceful transfer of Government to the newly elected administration in the great American democratic tradition," he tweeted.

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Very distressing scenes at the US Congress. We condemn these acts of violence and look forward to a peaceful transfer of Government to the newly elected administration in the great American democratic tradition.
— Scott Morrison (@ScottMorrisonMP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ScottMorrisonMP/status/1346949911237914625?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2021</a></blockquote>
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New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern tweeted: "Democracy - the right of people to exercise a vote, have their voice heard and then have that decision upheld peacefully should never be undone by a mob."

The PM added her country's thoughts were with everyone "devastated" by today's events, adding: "what is happening is wrong."

"Extremely troubled by the violence and horrible events taking place in Washington D.C. American democracy is resilient, deeply rooted and will overcome this crisis," Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis&nbsp;said in a tweet.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday expressed shock and outrage at the storming of the US Capitol in Washington by supporters of President Donald Trump.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday expressed shock and outrage at the storming of the US Capitol in Washington by supporters of President Donald Trump. Modi, who is believed to have been good friends with Trump, posted on Twitter: "Distressed to see news about rioting and violence in Washington DC. Orderly and peaceful transfer of power must continue. The democratic process cannot be allowed to be subverted through unlawful protests." Distressed to see news about rioting and violence in Washington DC. Orderly and peaceful transfer of power must continue. The democratic process cannot be allowed to be subverted through unlawful protests. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 7, 2021 × Other world leaders also condemned the disgraceful scenes at the US Congress. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said 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". British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab added in his own tweet: "The US rightly takes great pride in its democracy, and there can be no justification for these violent attempts to frustrate the lawful and proper transition of power." Disappointed to hear of delays in arrival to China of the independent WHO team investigating COVID-19 origins. International community including China agreed to this scientific investigation. It must be open, robust & the WHO team must be able to travel as soon as possible — Dominic Raab (@DominicRaab) January 6, 2021 × The EU's foreign policy chief condemned an "assault on US democracy". "In the eyes of the world, American democracy tonight appears under siege," Josep Borrell tweeted. Calling the action an "assault on US democracy, its institutions and the rule of law", he added: "This is not America. The election results of 3 November must be fully respected." French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian condemned "a serious attack on democracy". "The violence against American institutions are a serious attack on democracy. I condemn it," Le Drian tweeted. "The will and the votes of the American people must be respected." German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas called on Trump supporters to "stop trampling on democracy". "Trump and his supporters should finally accept the decision of American voters and stop trampling on democracy," Maas tweeted. "The enemies of democracy will be pleased to see these incredible images from Washington DC," he added. "Inflammatory words turn into violent actions." German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz, who is also the vice chancellor, likewise condemned the "disturbing images" from Washington. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted that the scenes at the US Capitol were an "attack on democracy. "Canadians are deeply disturbed and saddened by the attack on democracy in the United States, our closest ally and neighbour," he said. Canadians are deeply disturbed and saddened by the attack on democracy in the United States, our closest ally and neighbour. Violence will never succeed in overruling the will of the people. Democracy in the US must be upheld - and it will be. — Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) January 6, 2021 × Australian PM Scott Morrison condemned the "very distressing scenes" in the US. "We condemn these acts of violence and look forward to a peaceful transfer of Government to the newly elected administration in the great American democratic tradition," he tweeted. Very distressing scenes at the US Congress. We condemn these acts of violence and look forward to a peaceful transfer of Government to the newly elected administration in the great American democratic tradition. — Scott Morrison (@ScottMorrisonMP) January 6, 2021 × New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern tweeted: "Democracy - the right of people to exercise a vote, have their voice heard and then have that decision upheld peacefully should never be undone by a mob." The PM added her country's thoughts were with everyone "devastated" by today's events, adding: "what is happening is wrong." "Extremely troubled by the violence and horrible events taking place in Washington D.C. American democracy is resilient, deeply rooted and will overcome this crisis," Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in a tweet.

Indian PM Modi, world leaders condemn rioting and violence at US Capitol

Hours after hundreds of President Donald Trump's supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol in a harrowing assault on American democracy, a shaken Congress on Thursday formally certified Democrat Joe Biden’s election victory.

US Congress certifies Biden win hours after harrowing Capitol Hill assault

Twitter blocks Donald Trump's account, threatens permanent ban over inciting violence

World leaders condemn riots and violence at US Capitol

“If the Democratic Party wants to stand with anarchists, agitators, rioters, looters and flag burners, that is up to them. But I as your president will not be part of it. The Republican Party will remain the voice of the patriotic heroes who keep America safe.”

— Donald Trump, Aug. 28, 2020

Wednesday was a horrifying and shameful moment in American history. I’ve covered attempted coups in many countries around the world, and now I’m finally covering one in the United States.

Trump and his enablers talk a good game about patriotism. They denounced President Barack Obama for sometimes not wearing a flag lapel pin. They criticized Colin Kaepernick for protesting police brutality by taking a knee rather than standing during the national anthem — and then Trump incited a mob on Wednesday to invade the United States Capitol. The rioters encountered a minimal police response, not the kind that Black Lives Matter protesters received.

Many of those pro-Trump rioters probably dispute the idea of white privilege. But the fact that they were allowed to overrun the police and invade the Senate and House chambers was evidence of that privilege.

“We are witnessing absolute banana republic crap in the United States Capitol right now,” Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., tweeted, adding an appeal to Trump: “You need to call this off.”

What the pro-Trump rioters attacked was not only a building but also the Constitution, the electoral system, our democratic process. They humiliated the United States before the world and left America’s enemies chortling. They will be remembered as Benedict Arnolds.

“Our democracy is under unprecedented assault, unlike anything we have seen in modern times,” President-elect Joe Biden said. He described it as “an assault on the citadel of liberty, the Capitol itself.”

“Our Constitution was the product of centuries of tradition, wisdom and experience. … A radical movement is attempting to demolish this treasured and precious inheritance. Left-wing mobs have torn down statues of our founders, desecrated our memorials.”

— Trump, Sept. 17, 2020

Patriotism is not about words. It is not about waving flags or singing “America the Beautiful.” It is about struggling, imperfectly and inadequately, to make this country we love a better one.

It is not about a president supporting an illegal insurrection or trying to win another term despite having lost both the popular vote and the Electoral College.

Whatever a president’s rhetoric, he betrays the Constitution when he oversees a campaign to overturn a free election guaranteed by that Constitution, and when he galvanizes rioters to overpower our democratic process.

Mitch McConnell, the Senate Republican leader, isn’t someone I usually agree with. But he was right when he finally stood up to Trump and warned the Senate that legislative moves to overrule voters by excluding some states in the Electoral College count “would damage our republic forever.”

The bankruptcy of the extremist GOP position was evident as Sen. Kelly Loeffler of Georgia joined in sabotaging the election by trying to negate the Arizona vote. Having just been rejected by voters, she in turn rejected voters.

“President Trump is promoting national unity through renewing understanding of and commitment to America’s shared founding principles.”

— White House “fact sheet,” Nov. 2, 2020

After a year in which Trump presented himself as the law-and-order president and denounced protesters as rioters, he summoned supporters to Washington and unleashed them as rioters on the Capitol as votes were counted. “Be there, will be wild,” he tweeted.

“Let’s have trial by combat,” his lawyer Rudy Giuliani told a rally of Trump supporters shortly before the attack on the Capitol.

So pro-Trump crowds dismantled security fences and invaded the Capitol. You can call them rioters or terrorists or coup plotters, but they were not Making America Great Again.

In Portland, Oregon, last summer, I saw federal authorities periodically use tear gas even against protesters who were peaceful and outside — so it was astonishing to see waves of protesters invade the Capitol with almost no response. Leftist protests sometimes did become violent and destructive in Portland and other cities, and when that happened Joe Biden repeatedly denounced them; he stood up to his base. Trump in contrast incited violence by his base and on Wednesday morning encouraged his supporters to head to the Capitol.

There have been whispers that Trump might try to take advantage of disorder at home or a crisis abroad by invoking the Insurrection Act and deploy military forces to interrupt the presidential transition. We should all be on alert and remember the warning of every living former U.S. defense secretary that the military should stay out of such a crisis.

Trump’s assaults on truth are not as visible as assaults on the Capitol, but they are also damaging. Some 62% of Republicans say they do not accept Biden’s election, and that is toxic for democracy and lays the groundwork for this kind of violence.

Trump and other Republicans talk about personal responsibility and obeying the law. So Tanya McDowell, a homeless African American mom, was imprisoned after misleading school officials about where she lived so that she could send her young son to a better school district and give him a better life. But, hypocritically, Trump fails to take any responsibility after a term in which he has lost the House, the presidency and the Senate — and then unleashes mobs to terrorize the Capitol.

As I said, I’ve covered other attempted coups, and history usually catches up to autocrats and thugs — eventually. They end up in prison, exile or disgrace, whining about the unfairness of it all, monuments to the perils of demagoguery and authoritarianism.

“If the Democratic Party wants to stand with anarchists, agitators, rioters, looters and flag burners, that is up to them. But I as your president will not be part of it.

“If the Democratic Party wants to stand with anarchists, agitators, rioters, looters and flag burners, that is up to them. But I as your president will not be part of it. The Republican Party will remain the voice of the patriotic heroes who keep America safe.” — Donald Trump, Aug. 28, 2020 Wednesday was a horrifying and shameful moment in American history. I’ve covered attempted coups in many countries around the world, and now I’m finally covering one in the United States. Trump and his enablers talk a good game about patriotism. They denounced President Barack Obama for sometimes not wearing a flag lapel pin. They criticized Colin Kaepernick for protesting police brutality by taking a knee rather than standing during the national anthem — and then Trump incited a mob on Wednesday to invade the United States Capitol. The rioters encountered a minimal police response, not the kind that Black Lives Matter protesters received. Many of those pro-Trump rioters probably dispute the idea of white privilege. But the fact that they were allowed to overrun the police and invade the Senate and House chambers was evidence of that privilege. “We are witnessing absolute banana republic crap in the United States Capitol right now,” Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., tweeted, adding an appeal to Trump: “You need to call this off.” What the pro-Trump rioters attacked was not only a building but also the Constitution, the electoral system, our democratic process. They humiliated the United States before the world and left America’s enemies chortling. They will be remembered as Benedict Arnolds. “Our democracy is under unprecedented assault, unlike anything we have seen in modern times,” President-elect Joe Biden said. He described it as “an assault on the citadel of liberty, the Capitol itself.” “Our Constitution was the product of centuries of tradition, wisdom and experience. … A radical movement is attempting to demolish this treasured and precious inheritance. Left-wing mobs have torn down statues of our founders, desecrated our memorials.” — Trump, Sept. 17, 2020 Patriotism is not about words. It is not about waving flags or singing “America the Beautiful.” It is about struggling, imperfectly and inadequately, to make this country we love a better one. It is not about a president supporting an illegal insurrection or trying to win another term despite having lost both the popular vote and the Electoral College. Whatever a president’s rhetoric, he betrays the Constitution when he oversees a campaign to overturn a free election guaranteed by that Constitution, and when he galvanizes rioters to overpower our democratic process. Mitch McConnell, the Senate Republican leader, isn’t someone I usually agree with. But he was right when he finally stood up to Trump and warned the Senate that legislative moves to overrule voters by excluding some states in the Electoral College count “would damage our republic forever.” The bankruptcy of the extremist GOP position was evident as Sen. Kelly Loeffler of Georgia joined in sabotaging the election by trying to negate the Arizona vote. Having just been rejected by voters, she in turn rejected voters. “President Trump is promoting national unity through renewing understanding of and commitment to America’s shared founding principles.” — White House “fact sheet,” Nov. 2, 2020 After a year in which Trump presented himself as the law-and-order president and denounced protesters as rioters, he summoned supporters to Washington and unleashed them as rioters on the Capitol as votes were counted. “Be there, will be wild,” he tweeted. “Let’s have trial by combat,” his lawyer Rudy Giuliani told a rally of Trump supporters shortly before the attack on the Capitol. So pro-Trump crowds dismantled security fences and invaded the Capitol. You can call them rioters or terrorists or coup plotters, but they were not Making America Great Again. In Portland, Oregon, last summer, I saw federal authorities periodically use tear gas even against protesters who were peaceful and outside — so it was astonishing to see waves of protesters invade the Capitol with almost no response. Leftist protests sometimes did become violent and destructive in Portland and other cities, and when that happened Joe Biden repeatedly denounced them; he stood up to his base. Trump in contrast incited violence by his base and on Wednesday morning encouraged his supporters to head to the Capitol. There have been whispers that Trump might try to take advantage of disorder at home or a crisis abroad by invoking the Insurrection Act and deploy military forces to interrupt the presidential transition. We should all be on alert and remember the warning of every living former U.S. defense secretary that the military should stay out of such a crisis. Trump’s assaults on truth are not as visible as assaults on the Capitol, but they are also damaging. Some 62% of Republicans say they do not accept Biden’s election, and that is toxic for democracy and lays the groundwork for this kind of violence. Trump and other Republicans talk about personal responsibility and obeying the law. So Tanya McDowell, a homeless African American mom, was imprisoned after misleading school officials about where she lived so that she could send her young son to a better school district and give him a better life. But, hypocritically, Trump fails to take any responsibility after a term in which he has lost the House, the presidency and the Senate — and then unleashes mobs to terrorize the Capitol. As I said, I’ve covered other attempted coups, and history usually catches up to autocrats and thugs — eventually. They end up in prison, exile or disgrace, whining about the unfairness of it all, monuments to the perils of demagoguery and authoritarianism.

Trump incites rioters

WASHINGTON — So this is how it ends. The presidency of Donald John Trump, rooted from the beginning in anger, division and conspiracy-mongering, comes to a close with a violent mob storming the Capitol at the instigation of a defeated leader trying to hang onto power as if America were just another authoritarian nation.

The scenes in Washington would have once been unimaginable: A rampage through the citadel of American democracy. Police officers brandishing guns in an armed standoff to defend the House chamber. Tear gas deployed in the Rotunda. Lawmakers in hiding. Extremists standing in the vice president’s spot on the Senate dais and sitting at the desk of the speaker of the House.

The words used to describe it were equally alarming: Coup. Insurrection. Sedition. Suddenly the United States was being compared to a “banana republic” and receiving messages of concern from other capitals. “American carnage,” it turned out, was not what Trump would stop, as he promised upon taking office, but what he wound up delivering four years later to the very building where he took the oath.

The convulsion in Washington capped 1,448 days of Twitter storms, provocations, race-baiting, busted norms, shock-jock governance and truth-bending from the Oval Office that have left the country more polarized than in generations. Those who warned of worst-case scenarios only to be dismissed as alarmists found some of their darkest fears realized. By day’s end, even some Republicans discussed removing Trump under the 25th Amendment rather than wait two weeks for the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden.

The extraordinary invasion of the Capitol was a last-ditch act of desperation from a camp facing political eviction. Even before the mob set foot in the building on Wednesday afternoon, Trump’s presidency was slipping away. Democrats were taking control of the Senate with a pair of Georgia runoff election victories that Republicans angrily blamed on the president’s erratic behavior.

Two of his most loyal allies, Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader, broke with Trump as never before, refusing to go along with his bid to overturn a democratic election after remaining behind him or standing quiet through four years of toxic conflict, scandal and capriciousness.

And following the attack on the Capitol, even more Republicans abandoned him. While most Republicans in the House stuck with him, he lost more than half of the Republican senators who started the day on his side of the battle, leaving him just six on the first Senate vote when deliberations resumed after the rioters were removed.

“What we have seen today is unlawful and unacceptable,” said Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., who reversed plans to join Trump’s effort. “I have decided I will vote to uphold the Electoral College results, and I encourage Donald Trump to condemn and put an end to this madness.”

Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, the third-ranking Republican in the House, said Trump was responsible for the violence. “There’s no question that the president formed the mob, the president incited the mob, the president addressed the mob,” she told Fox News in comments she then posted online. “He lit the flames. This is what America is not.”

Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri, another senior Republican, said he had no more interest in what Trump had to say after the events that forced lawmakers to flee their own chambers. “I don’t want to hear anything,” he told reporters. “It was a tragic day and I think he was part of it.”

The cascade of criticism came even from within Trump’s circle, as advisers expressed deepening concern about how far he has been willing to go to undo an election he lost. At least three aides, Stephanie Grisham, Sarah Matthews and Rickie Niceta, resigned, with more expected to follow. After he initially offered only mild statements calling on the mob in the Capitol to be peaceful, several members of Trump’s team publicly implored him to do more.

“The best thing @realDonaldTrump could do right now is to address the nation from the Oval Office and condemn the riots,” Mick Mulvaney, who served as his chief of staff and still served as a special envoy, wrote on Twitter. “A peaceful transition of power is essential to the country and needs to take place on 1/20.”

Others debunked their own former boss’s brazenly false fraud allegations. “Dear MAGA- I am one of you,” wrote Alyssa Farah, who just stepped down as Trump’s communications director last month, noting that she has worked not just for Trump but also the conservative Freedom Caucus in the House. “I campaigned w/ Trump &amp;amp; voted for him. But I need you to hear me: the Election was NOT stolen. We lost.”

Moments after Biden went on live television to deplore the “insurrection” at the Capitol and call on Trump to go before cameras, the president posted a recorded video online that offered mixed messages. Even as he told supporters it was time to withdraw, he praised them rather than condemning their actions and repeated his grievances against people who were “so bad and so evil.”

“I know you’re hurt,” he told the rioters. “We had an election that was stolen from us. It was a landslide election and everyone knows it, especially the other side. But you have to go home now.” He added: “We love you. You’re very special.” Rather than calming the waters, the video was seen as further roiling them — so much so that Facebook and Twitter took it down and temporarily suspended Trump’s accounts.

Tom Bossert, the president’s former homeland security adviser, called out his former boss. “This is beyond wrong and illegal,” he said on Twitter. “It’s un-American. The President undermined American democracy baselessly for months. As a result, he’s culpable for this siege, and an utter disgrace.”

While Washington has seen many protests over the years, including some that turned violent, the uprising on Wednesday was unlike anything that the capital has seen during a transition of power in modern times, literally interrupting the constitutional acceptance of Biden’s election victory.

The assault on the Capitol was the first by a large, hostile group of invaders since the British sacked the building in 1814, according to the U.S. Capitol Historical Society. Four Puerto Rican nationalists entered peacefully in 1954 and sat in the House visitors gallery, at which point they pulled out guns and opened fire, injuring five lawmakers. In 1998, a gunman walked into the Capitol and killed two members of the Capitol Police.

But none of them was egged on by an American president the way that Trump seemed to do on Wednesday during a “Save America March” on the Ellipse south of the White House just as Congress was convening to validate Biden’s election.

“We will never give up,” Trump had declared. “We will never concede. It doesn’t happen. You don’t concede when there’s theft involved. Our country has had enough. We will not take it anymore, and that’s what this is all about."

As the crowd on the Ellipse chanted, “Fight for Trump! Fight for Trump!” the president lashed out at members of his own party for not doing more to help him cling to power. “There are so many weak Republicans,” he growled and then vowed to take revenge against those he deemed insufficiently loyal. “You primary them,” he said.

He singled out Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia, a Republican who angered him by not intervening in the election, calling him “one of the dumbest governors in the United States.” And he went after William Barr, the attorney general who debunked his false election complaints. “All of a sudden, Bill Barr changed,” he groused.

Other speakers, including his sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, castigated Republican lawmakers for not standing up for the president. “Let’s have trial by combat,” exhorted Rudy Giuliani, the former New York mayor who has served as the president’s personal lawyer.

“The people who did nothing to stop the steal — this gathering should send a message to them,” Donald Trump Jr. said. “This isn’t their Republican Party anymore. This is Donald Trump’s Republican Party.”

But the question is for how long. Trump faced the end of his reign much as he began it, with a fervent hard-core base but without the support of most Americans. He won in 2016 through the Electoral College with nearly 3 million fewer votes in the popular tally than his opponent and lost by 7 million in November. He did not earn the approval of a majority of Americans in major surveys for a single day of his tenure, unlike any of his predecessors in the history of polling.

Had it not been for the attack on the Capitol, the break by Pence and McConnell would have been a political earthquake by itself. Pence rebuffed the president’s demand that he use his role as presiding officer over the Electoral College count to reject electors for Biden. And McConnell gave a forceful speech repudiating Trump’s effort to nullify the election.

“If this election were overturned by mere allegations from the losing side, our democracy would enter a death spiral,” McConnell said before the Capitol was overrun.

Pence released a letter saying he did not have the power to do what the president wanted him to do. “Vesting the vice president with unilateral authority to decide presidential contests would be entirely antithetical” to the constitutional design, he wrote.

He added: “It is my considered judgment that my oath to support and defend the Constitution constrains me from claiming unilateral authority to determine which electoral votes should be counted and which should not.”

With Pence unwilling and unable to stop the count, the president’s supporters made it their mission to do it themselves. And for several hours, they succeeded. But after they were finally cleared out of the ransacked Capitol, lawmakers resumed the process of ending the Trump presidency.

Even Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, one of his strongest allies, essentially declared the Trump era done as he opposed the attempt to override the election results. “Enough’s enough,” he said on the floor. “It is over.”

WASHINGTON — So this is how it ends. The presidency of Donald John Trump, rooted from the beginning in anger, division and conspiracy-mongering, comes to a close with a violent mob storming the Capitol at the instigation of a defeated leader trying to hang onto power as if America were just another authoritarian nation.

WASHINGTON — So this is how it ends. The presidency of Donald John Trump, rooted from the beginning in anger, division and conspiracy-mongering, comes to a close with a violent mob storming the Capitol at the instigation of a defeated leader trying to hang onto power as if America were just another authoritarian nation. The scenes in Washington would have once been unimaginable: A rampage through the citadel of American democracy. Police officers brandishing guns in an armed standoff to defend the House chamber. Tear gas deployed in the Rotunda. Lawmakers in hiding. Extremists standing in the vice president’s spot on the Senate dais and sitting at the desk of the speaker of the House. The words used to describe it were equally alarming: Coup. Insurrection. Sedition. Suddenly the United States was being compared to a “banana republic” and receiving messages of concern from other capitals. “American carnage,” it turned out, was not what Trump would stop, as he promised upon taking office, but what he wound up delivering four years later to the very building where he took the oath. The convulsion in Washington capped 1,448 days of Twitter storms, provocations, race-baiting, busted norms, shock-jock governance and truth-bending from the Oval Office that have left the country more polarized than in generations. Those who warned of worst-case scenarios only to be dismissed as alarmists found some of their darkest fears realized. By day’s end, even some Republicans discussed removing Trump under the 25th Amendment rather than wait two weeks for the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden. The extraordinary invasion of the Capitol was a last-ditch act of desperation from a camp facing political eviction. Even before the mob set foot in the building on Wednesday afternoon, Trump’s presidency was slipping away. Democrats were taking control of the Senate with a pair of Georgia runoff election victories that Republicans angrily blamed on the president’s erratic behavior. Two of his most loyal allies, Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader, broke with Trump as never before, refusing to go along with his bid to overturn a democratic election after remaining behind him or standing quiet through four years of toxic conflict, scandal and capriciousness. And following the attack on the Capitol, even more Republicans abandoned him. While most Republicans in the House stuck with him, he lost more than half of the Republican senators who started the day on his side of the battle, leaving him just six on the first Senate vote when deliberations resumed after the rioters were removed. “What we have seen today is unlawful and unacceptable,” said Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., who reversed plans to join Trump’s effort. “I have decided I will vote to uphold the Electoral College results, and I encourage Donald Trump to condemn and put an end to this madness.” Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, the third-ranking Republican in the House, said Trump was responsible for the violence. “There’s no question that the president formed the mob, the president incited the mob, the president addressed the mob,” she told Fox News in comments she then posted online. “He lit the flames. This is what America is not.” Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri, another senior Republican, said he had no more interest in what Trump had to say after the events that forced lawmakers to flee their own chambers. “I don’t want to hear anything,” he told reporters. “It was a tragic day and I think he was part of it.” The cascade of criticism came even from within Trump’s circle, as advisers expressed deepening concern about how far he has been willing to go to undo an election he lost. At least three aides, Stephanie Grisham, Sarah Matthews and Rickie Niceta, resigned, with more expected to follow. After he initially offered only mild statements calling on the mob in the Capitol to be peaceful, several members of Trump’s team publicly implored him to do more. “The best thing @realDonaldTrump could do right now is to address the nation from the Oval Office and condemn the riots,” Mick Mulvaney, who served as his chief of staff and still served as a special envoy, wrote on Twitter. “A peaceful transition of power is essential to the country and needs to take place on 1/20.” Others debunked their own former boss’s brazenly false fraud allegations. “Dear MAGA- I am one of you,” wrote Alyssa Farah, who just stepped down as Trump’s communications director last month, noting that she has worked not just for Trump but also the conservative Freedom Caucus in the House. “I campaigned w/ Trump &amp; voted for him. But I need you to hear me: the Election was NOT stolen. We lost.” Moments after Biden went on live television to deplore the “insurrection” at the Capitol and call on Trump to go before cameras, the president posted a recorded video online that offered mixed messages. Even as he told supporters it was time to withdraw, he praised them rather than condemning their actions and repeated his grievances against people who were “so bad and so evil.” “I know you’re hurt,” he told the rioters. “We had an election that was stolen from us. It was a landslide election and everyone knows it, especially the other side. But you have to go home now.” He added: “We love you. You’re very special.” Rather than calming the waters, the video was seen as further roiling them — so much so that Facebook and Twitter took it down and temporarily suspended Trump’s accounts. Tom Bossert, the president’s former homeland security adviser, called out his former boss. “This is beyond wrong and illegal,” he said on Twitter. “It’s un-American. The President undermined American democracy baselessly for months. As a result, he’s culpable for this siege, and an utter disgrace.” While Washington has seen many protests over the years, including some that turned violent, the uprising on Wednesday was unlike anything that the capital has seen during a transition of power in modern times, literally interrupting the constitutional acceptance of Biden’s election victory. The assault on the Capitol was the first by a large, hostile group of invaders since the British sacked the building in 1814, according to the U.S. Capitol Historical Society. Four Puerto Rican nationalists entered peacefully in 1954 and sat in the House visitors gallery, at which point they pulled out guns and opened fire, injuring five lawmakers. In 1998, a gunman walked into the Capitol and killed two members of the Capitol Police. But none of them was egged on by an American president the way that Trump seemed to do on Wednesday during a “Save America March” on the Ellipse south of the White House just as Congress was convening to validate Biden’s election. “We will never give up,” Trump had declared. “We will never concede. It doesn’t happen. You don’t concede when there’s theft involved. Our country has had enough. We will not take it anymore, and that’s what this is all about." As the crowd on the Ellipse chanted, “Fight for Trump! Fight for Trump!” the president lashed out at members of his own party for not doing more to help him cling to power. “There are so many weak Republicans,” he growled and then vowed to take revenge against those he deemed insufficiently loyal. “You primary them,” he said. He singled out Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia, a Republican who angered him by not intervening in the election, calling him “one of the dumbest governors in the United States.” And he went after William Barr, the attorney general who debunked his false election complaints. “All of a sudden, Bill Barr changed,” he groused. Other speakers, including his sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, castigated Republican lawmakers for not standing up for the president. “Let’s have trial by combat,” exhorted Rudy Giuliani, the former New York mayor who has served as the president’s personal lawyer. “The people who did nothing to stop the steal — this gathering should send a message to them,” Donald Trump Jr. said. “This isn’t their Republican Party anymore. This is Donald Trump’s Republican Party.” But the question is for how long. Trump faced the end of his reign much as he began it, with a fervent hard-core base but without the support of most Americans. He won in 2016 through the Electoral College with nearly 3 million fewer votes in the popular tally than his opponent and lost by 7 million in November. He did not earn the approval of a majority of Americans in major surveys for a single day of his tenure, unlike any of his predecessors in the history of polling. Had it not been for the attack on the Capitol, the break by Pence and McConnell would have been a political earthquake by itself. Pence rebuffed the president’s demand that he use his role as presiding officer over the Electoral College count to reject electors for Biden. And McConnell gave a forceful speech repudiating Trump’s effort to nullify the election. “If this election were overturned by mere allegations from the losing side, our democracy would enter a death spiral,” McConnell said before the Capitol was overrun. Pence released a letter saying he did not have the power to do what the president wanted him to do. “Vesting the vice president with unilateral authority to decide presidential contests would be entirely antithetical” to the constitutional design, he wrote. He added: “It is my considered judgment that my oath to support and defend the Constitution constrains me from claiming unilateral authority to determine which electoral votes should be counted and which should not.” With Pence unwilling and unable to stop the count, the president’s supporters made it their mission to do it themselves. And for several hours, they succeeded. But after they were finally cleared out of the ransacked Capitol, lawmakers resumed the process of ending the Trump presidency. Even Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, one of his strongest allies, essentially declared the Trump era done as he opposed the attempt to override the election results. “Enough’s enough,” he said on the floor. “It is over.”

A mob and the breach of democracy: The violent end of the Trump era

Democrat Raphael Warnock has won one of Georgia’s two Senate runoffs -- becoming the first Black senator in his state’s history and putting the Senate majority within the Democrats’ reach.

Warnock defeated Republican incumbent Kelly Loeffler. It was a stinging rebuke of outgoing President Donald Trump, who made one of his final trips in office to Georgia to rally his loyal base behind Loeffler and the Republican running for the other seat, David Perdue.

The focus now shifts to the second race between Perdue and Democrat Jon Ossoff.

If Ossoff wins, Democrats will have complete control of Congress, strengthening President-elect Joe Biden’s standing as he prepares to take office on January 20.

The showdown on the two seats will decide whether President-elect Joe Biden enjoys control of Congress or faces stiff Republican opposition to his reform plans.

"Georgia, I am honoured by the faith that you have shown in me," Warnock, a Black pastor, said in a televised address shortly after midnight as he claimed victory.

"And I promise you this tonight, I am going to the Senate to work for all of Georgia."

An Edison exit poll of more than 5,200 voters found half had voted for Trump in November and half for Biden.&nbsp;

The voters were also evenly split on whether Democrats or Republicans should control the Senate.

The survey included both early voters and voters who cast ballots on Tuesday.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/polls-close-in-georgias-critical-senate-runoffs-candidates-in-close-call-354707">Also read |&nbsp;Polls close in Georgia's critical Senate runoffs, candidates in close call</a>

Democrats must win both contests in Georgia to take control of the Senate. A double Democratic win would create a 50-50 split in the Senate and give Vice President-elect Kamala Harris the tie-breaking vote after she and Biden take office on January 20. The party already has a narrow majority in the House of Representatives.

If Republicans hold even one of the two seats, they would effectively wield veto power over Biden`s political and judicial appointees as well as many of his legislative initiatives in areas such as economic relief, climate change, healthcare and criminal justice.

(with inputs)

Democrat Raphael Warnock has won one of Georgia’s two Senate runoffs -- becoming the first Black senator in his state’s history and putting the Senate majority within the Democrats’ reach.

Democrat Raphael Warnock has won one of Georgia’s two Senate runoffs -- becoming the first Black senator in his state’s history and putting the Senate majority within the Democrats’ reach. Warnock defeated Republican incumbent Kelly Loeffler. It was a stinging rebuke of outgoing President Donald Trump, who made one of his final trips in office to Georgia to rally his loyal base behind Loeffler and the Republican running for the other seat, David Perdue. The focus now shifts to the second race between Perdue and Democrat Jon Ossoff. If Ossoff wins, Democrats will have complete control of Congress, strengthening President-elect Joe Biden’s standing as he prepares to take office on January 20. The showdown on the two seats will decide whether President-elect Joe Biden enjoys control of Congress or faces stiff Republican opposition to his reform plans. "Georgia, I am honoured by the faith that you have shown in me," Warnock, a Black pastor, said in a televised address shortly after midnight as he claimed victory. "And I promise you this tonight, I am going to the Senate to work for all of Georgia." An Edison exit poll of more than 5,200 voters found half had voted for Trump in November and half for Biden. The voters were also evenly split on whether Democrats or Republicans should control the Senate. The survey included both early voters and voters who cast ballots on Tuesday. Also read | Polls close in Georgia's critical Senate runoffs, candidates in close call Democrats must win both contests in Georgia to take control of the Senate. A double Democratic win would create a 50-50 split in the Senate and give Vice President-elect Kamala Harris the tie-breaking vote after she and Biden take office on January 20. The party already has a narrow majority in the House of Representatives. If Republicans hold even one of the two seats, they would effectively wield veto power over Biden`s political and judicial appointees as well as many of his legislative initiatives in areas such as economic relief, climate change, healthcare and criminal justice. (with inputs)

Democrat Raphael Warnock wins one of two crunch US Senate runoffs

Joe Biden's victory over Donald Trump in November was just half the battle won. His ability to govern&nbsp; for at least the next two years hinged on two senate races in Georgia. The results for one of them are out, and the other run-off remains uncalled.

As of January 5, the Republican Party had a two seat advantage in the US Senate, and the Republicans controlled 50 of the 100 seats while the Democrats controlled 48. The remaining two are independent candidates who lean&nbsp;towards the Democrats.

A senate majority is very crucial for the upcoming Biden administration. It matters for cabinet appointments, policy decisions, fulfilling campaign promises, passing laws, paying debts, and allocating funds for government projects.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/bullying-china-slams-us-over-trumps-order-to-ban-chinese-apps-354822" hreflang="en">'Bullying': China slams US over Trump's order to ban Chinese apps</a>

The senate race in Georgia was a make-or-break runoff for the Democratic Party, and the fight was over 2 seats - both controlled by Republicans. These two&nbsp;seats will ultimately determine the balance of power in the senate.

In November, all four candidates from the Republican and Democratic parties fell short of the 50% plus one vote threshold - mandated in the state of Georgia.

So elections were held once again. Democrat Raphael War-Naak has been declared the winner of his race against the incumbent Republican senator Kelly Leff-ler. As of 9 pm IST on Wednesday, Mr. War-naak has secured a total of&nbsp; over 2 million votes.

With a vote percentage of 50.6%, Miss Kelly Leff-ler has secured two million and one hundred and seventy three thousand votes. With a vote percentage of 49.4%, Raphael War-naak is the clear winner, becoming Georgia's first black senator!

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/us-hits-iran-with-fresh-sanctions-as-trump-term-nears-end-354789" hreflang="en">US hits Iran with fresh sanctions as Trump term nears end</a>

Democrats have a lead in the second run offs as well. As of 9 PM IST&nbsp;on Wednesday, Democratic candidate Jon o-soff had secured over 2 million votes, with a vote percentage of 50.2%.

The incumbent Republican senator - David Perdew has secured over 2 million votes, with a vote percentage of 49.8%. 98% of the votes have been counted, and the Republicans want to wait for the remaining 2%.

But the Democratic candidate Jon Ossoff has already claimed victory.

“Georgia, thank you so much for the confidence that you've placed in me. I am honored, honored by your support, by your confidence, by your trust, and i will look forward to serving you in the united states senate with integrity, with humility, with honor, and getting things done for the people of Georgia. Thank you so much”, Jon Ossoff said.

After the house of representatives, the senate too is going to the Democrats, making Donald Trump very upset. He has gone back to ranting about election fraud.

“The states want to redo their votes...They found out they voted on a fraud... Legislatures never approved...Let them do it..Be strong…”, he tweeted. In just four years, Donald Trump has cost the Republican Party the house, the senate, and the presidency.

Joe Biden's victory over Donald Trump in November was just half the battle won. His ability to govern for at least the next two years hinged on two senate races in Georgia.

Joe Biden's victory over Donald Trump in November was just half the battle won. His ability to govern for at least the next two years hinged on two senate races in Georgia. The results for one of them are out, and the other run-off remains uncalled. As of January 5, the Republican Party had a two seat advantage in the US Senate, and the Republicans controlled 50 of the 100 seats while the Democrats controlled 48. The remaining two are independent candidates who lean towards the Democrats. A senate majority is very crucial for the upcoming Biden administration. It matters for cabinet appointments, policy decisions, fulfilling campaign promises, passing laws, paying debts, and allocating funds for government projects. Also read: 'Bullying': China slams US over Trump's order to ban Chinese apps The senate race in Georgia was a make-or-break runoff for the Democratic Party, and the fight was over 2 seats - both controlled by Republicans. These two seats will ultimately determine the balance of power in the senate. In November, all four candidates from the Republican and Democratic parties fell short of the 50% plus one vote threshold - mandated in the state of Georgia. So elections were held once again. Democrat Raphael War-Naak has been declared the winner of his race against the incumbent Republican senator Kelly Leff-ler. As of 9 pm IST on Wednesday, Mr. War-naak has secured a total of over 2 million votes. With a vote percentage of 50.6%, Miss Kelly Leff-ler has secured two million and one hundred and seventy three thousand votes. With a vote percentage of 49.4%, Raphael War-naak is the clear winner, becoming Georgia's first black senator! Also read: US hits Iran with fresh sanctions as Trump term nears end Democrats have a lead in the second run offs as well. As of 9 PM IST on Wednesday, Democratic candidate Jon o-soff had secured over 2 million votes, with a vote percentage of 50.2%. The incumbent Republican senator - David Perdew has secured over 2 million votes, with a vote percentage of 49.8%. 98% of the votes have been counted, and the Republicans want to wait for the remaining 2%. But the Democratic candidate Jon Ossoff has already claimed victory. “Georgia, thank you so much for the confidence that you've placed in me. I am honored, honored by your support, by your confidence, by your trust, and i will look forward to serving you in the united states senate with integrity, with humility, with honor, and getting things done for the people of Georgia. Thank you so much”, Jon Ossoff said. After the house of representatives, the senate too is going to the Democrats, making Donald Trump very upset. He has gone back to ranting about election fraud. “The states want to redo their votes...They found out they voted on a fraud... Legislatures never approved...Let them do it..Be strong…”, he tweeted. In just four years, Donald Trump has cost the Republican Party the house, the senate, and the presidency.

Donald Trump cost Republican Party the House, and now the Senate

Republican former US president George W Bush will attend the inauguration of Democrats Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in Washington on January 20.

"President and Mrs. Bush look forward to returning to the Capitol for the swearing in of President Biden and Vice President Harris," Freddy Ford tweeted.&nbsp;

"Witnessing the peaceful transfer of power is a hallmark of our democracy that never gets old," he added, in a seeming jab at President Donald Trump who refuses to concede defeat and has not confirmed if he will attend Biden's inauguration.

It will be the eighth swearing-in ceremony the Bushs have attended.

The statement from Bush, the only living former Republican president, came during a week of high political tensions in the United States, with Trump desperately scheming to reverse his election loss.

On Wednesday, Vice President Mike Pence is to preside over a joint session of Congress to certify the Electoral College vote that confirmed Biden as the winner of the White House.

Trump is planning to address a rally called in protest at the certification, and he urged Pence to "reject fraudulently chosen electors" -- a move the vice president has no legal authority to make.

Bush called Biden on November 8, the day after US media called the election for the Democrat, to offer his "warm congratulations."

Republican former US president George W Bush will attend the inauguration of Democrats Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in Washington on January 20. "President and Mrs.

Republican former US president George W Bush will attend the inauguration of Democrats Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in Washington on January 20. "President and Mrs. Bush look forward to returning to the Capitol for the swearing in of President Biden and Vice President Harris," Freddy Ford tweeted. "Witnessing the peaceful transfer of power is a hallmark of our democracy that never gets old," he added, in a seeming jab at President Donald Trump who refuses to concede defeat and has not confirmed if he will attend Biden's inauguration. It will be the eighth swearing-in ceremony the Bushs have attended. The statement from Bush, the only living former Republican president, came during a week of high political tensions in the United States, with Trump desperately scheming to reverse his election loss. On Wednesday, Vice President Mike Pence is to preside over a joint session of Congress to certify the Electoral College vote that confirmed Biden as the winner of the White House. Trump is planning to address a rally called in protest at the certification, and he urged Pence to "reject fraudulently chosen electors" -- a move the vice president has no legal authority to make. Bush called Biden on November 8, the day after US media called the election for the Democrat, to offer his "warm congratulations."

George W Bush, wife to attend Joe Biden inauguration on Jan 20

All polls in Georgia officially closed on Tuesday&nbsp;after a day of in-person voting in Georgia's closely watched US Senate elections that will determine which party controls the chamber and how Congress could impact Joe Biden's incoming administration.

The runoffs for two Senate seats follow the November 3 election that saw Democrat Biden narrowly win Georgia and defeat President Donald Trump in their bitter White House race.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/i-will-fight-like-hell-to-hold-on-to-presidency-donald-trump-354509" hreflang="en">I will 'fight like hell' to hold on to presidency: Donald Trump</a>

After polls closed at 7:00 pm (0000 GMT Wednesday) in the southern state, US news outlets reported the races were too close to call, with Georgia officials saying results may not be known until Wednesday or later.

Georgia's unusual runoff for two Senate seats pits Democrats Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff against incumbent Republicans Kelly Loeffler and David Purdue respectively.

As polls closed Tuesday evening, preliminary results showed Warnock and Ossoff had jumped to narrow early leads.

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Ossoff, a documentary filmmaker, and Warnock, a pastor at a historic Black church in Atlanta, are challenging Republican incumbents David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler.

With about 49 per cent&nbsp;of the estimated vote counted, Warnock led Loeffler by 6.8 percentage points, while Ossoff was ahead of Perdue by 6.4 percentage points, according to Edison Research. The early results still heavily reflect Democratic-leaning areas.

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Looks like they are setting up a big “voter dump” against the Republican candidates. Waiting to see how many votes they need?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1346659909492998146?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The races appeared headed to a close finish, with an Edison exit poll of more than 5,200 voters finding half had voted for Republican President Donald Trump in November and a half for Biden. The voters were also evenly split on whether Democrats or Republicans should control the Senate.

The survey included both early voters and voters who cast ballots on Tuesday.

Democrats must win both contests in&nbsp;Georgia&nbsp;to take control of the Senate. A double Democratic win would create a 50-50 split in the Senate and give Vice President-elect Kamala Harris the tie-breaking vote after she and Biden take office on January&nbsp;20. The party already has a narrow majority in the House of Representatives.

If Republicans hold onto the Senate, they would effectively wield veto power over Biden's political and judicial appointees as well as many of his policy initiatives in areas such as economic relief, climate change, healthcare and criminal justice.

The state already had relatively complete results for 27 counties in&nbsp;Georgia&nbsp;with about 197,000 total votes. Ossoff has done about 0.2 percentage point better than Biden did in those counties, while Warnock is doing about 0.8 percentage point better than Biden did.

The outcome may remain in doubt for days if the margins are razor-thin.

Both Biden and Trump campaigned in the state on Monday, underscoring the stakes.

No Democrat has won a US&nbsp;Senate race in&nbsp;Georgia&nbsp;in 20 years, but opinion surveys show both races as exceedingly close. The head-to-head runoff elections, a quirk of state law, became necessary when no candidate in either race exceeded 50 per cent&nbsp;of the vote in November.

Biden's narrow statewide win in the November&nbsp;3 election,&nbsp;the first for a Democratic presidential candidate since 1992, has given the party reason for optimism in a state dominated by Republicans for decades.

More than 3 million&nbsp;Georgians voted early by mail or in person, shattering the record for runoff elections even before Election Day arrived. The two races drew nearly half a billion dollars in advertising spending since November&nbsp;3, a staggering total that fueled a tsunami of television commercials.

(With input from agencies)

All polls in Georgia officially closed on Tuesday after a day of in-person voting in Georgia's closely watched US Senate elections that will determine which party controls the chamber and how Congress could impact Joe Biden's incoming administration.

All polls in Georgia officially closed on Tuesday after a day of in-person voting in Georgia's closely watched US Senate elections that will determine which party controls the chamber and how Congress could impact Joe Biden's incoming administration. The runoffs for two Senate seats follow the November 3 election that saw Democrat Biden narrowly win Georgia and defeat President Donald Trump in their bitter White House race. Also read: I will 'fight like hell' to hold on to presidency: Donald Trump After polls closed at 7:00 pm (0000 GMT Wednesday) in the southern state, US news outlets reported the races were too close to call, with Georgia officials saying results may not be known until Wednesday or later. Georgia's unusual runoff for two Senate seats pits Democrats Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff against incumbent Republicans Kelly Loeffler and David Purdue respectively. As polls closed Tuesday evening, preliminary results showed Warnock and Ossoff had jumped to narrow early leads. Ossoff, a documentary filmmaker, and Warnock, a pastor at a historic Black church in Atlanta, are challenging Republican incumbents David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler. With about 49 per cent of the estimated vote counted, Warnock led Loeffler by 6.8 percentage points, while Ossoff was ahead of Perdue by 6.4 percentage points, according to Edison Research. The early results still heavily reflect Democratic-leaning areas. Looks like they are setting up a big “voter dump” against the Republican candidates. Waiting to see how many votes they need? — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2021 × The races appeared headed to a close finish, with an Edison exit poll of more than 5,200 voters finding half had voted for Republican President Donald Trump in November and a half for Biden. The voters were also evenly split on whether Democrats or Republicans should control the Senate. The survey included both early voters and voters who cast ballots on Tuesday. Democrats must win both contests in Georgia to take control of the Senate. A double Democratic win would create a 50-50 split in the Senate and give Vice President-elect Kamala Harris the tie-breaking vote after she and Biden take office on January 20. The party already has a narrow majority in the House of Representatives. If Republicans hold onto the Senate, they would effectively wield veto power over Biden's political and judicial appointees as well as many of his policy initiatives in areas such as economic relief, climate change, healthcare and criminal justice. The state already had relatively complete results for 27 counties in Georgia with about 197,000 total votes. Ossoff has done about 0.2 percentage point better than Biden did in those counties, while Warnock is doing about 0.8 percentage point better than Biden did. The outcome may remain in doubt for days if the margins are razor-thin. Both Biden and Trump campaigned in the state on Monday, underscoring the stakes. No Democrat has won a US Senate race in Georgia in 20 years, but opinion surveys show both races as exceedingly close. The head-to-head runoff elections, a quirk of state law, became necessary when no candidate in either race exceeded 50 per cent of the vote in November. Biden's narrow statewide win in the November 3 election, the first for a Democratic presidential candidate since 1992, has given the party reason for optimism in a state dominated by Republicans for decades. More than 3 million Georgians voted early by mail or in person, shattering the record for runoff elections even before Election Day arrived. The two races drew nearly half a billion dollars in advertising spending since November 3, a staggering total that fueled a tsunami of television commercials. (With input from agencies)

Polls close in Georgia's critical Senate runoffs, candidates in close call

Despite growing pressure from President Donald Trump to help overturn his election loss, Vice President Mike Pence plans to stick to his ceremonial duties and not interfere with the election certification when presiding in Congress on Wednesday, advisers said.

Trump ramped up pressure on Pence on Tuesday to block Congress` certification of the November election results in an ongoing attempt to stay in power, after dozens of lawsuits by his campaign challenging election results failed in U.S. courts.

But the vice president, a loyal lieutenant during the four years of Trump`s often chaotic presidency, has no plans to attempt to do so, even as he seeks to show support for the Republican president`s quest.

Pence is set to preside over a joint session of Congress on Wednesday as it receives the results of the state-by-state Electoral College that determines the winner of presidential elections.

President-elect Joe Biden, a Democrat, beat Trump 306-232 in the Electoral College and, in the popular vote, by more than 7 million ballots. Trump has declined to concede the election.

U.S. states have already certified the results, and Pence`s role on Wednesday as president of the Senate is to "open all the certificates," in the presence of the House of Representatives and the Senate, the U.S. Constitution says.

Trump has suggested Pence could do more than that.

"The Vice President has the power to reject fraudulently chosen electors," Trump wrote in a tweet on Tuesday, his latest unfounded suggestion that the election was marred by widespread fraud.

Pence told Trump on Tuesday he did not believe he had the power to block the certification, according to a source familiar with the subject.

Trump`s tweet came after pointed remarks at a campaign rally for Republican U.S. Senate incumbents in Georgia on Monday night, in which he expressed hope that Pence would intervene.

"If he doesn`t come through, I won`t like him quite as much," Trump said.

About a dozen Republican senators, as well as dozens of Republicans in the House, plan to object to the certification of the Electoral College results in Congress on Wednesday. The move has virtually no chance of overturning Biden`s victory.

`WILL UPHOLD THE CONSTITUTION`

Current and former White House aides said the vice president planned to perform his ceremonial duties.

"He will be very supportive of the president, but again he`ll stick to the Constitution," one former White House official who has regular contact with Pence`s team told Reuters.

The vice president would make clear in his statements that he backs Trump, while sticking to the constraints of the role, the former official said.

"It is a ceremonial role. It is opening up envelopes and reading the contents of it," he said. "That`s it."

Pence`s chief of staff, Marc Short, told Reuters on Monday that the vice president "will uphold the Constitution and follow the statutory law."

On Friday, a Trump-appointed judge rejected a lawsuit brought by Republican members of Congress asking Pence to reject Electoral College results, saying they had no standing for such a suit.

One Trump adviser said the president had told others he would like Pence to fight harder for him.

The vice president has sought, so far, to express his support without repeating the president`s false claims about the election. On Monday, during his own trip to Georgia, Pence said that Republican objections to the election would be heard, but he did not commit to taking action on them.

"I share the concerns of millions of Americans about voting irregularities.&nbsp;And I promise you, come&nbsp;this Wednesday, we`ll have our day in Congress.&nbsp;We’ll hear the objections.&nbsp;We`ll hear the evidence," he said.

Following a pattern throughout their partnership, Pence has kept Trump informed about his thinking. The former adviser said Pence likely walked the president through the restrictions of his role, informed by a weekend meeting with a congressional parliamentarian.

Despite growing pressure from President Donald Trump to help overturn his election loss, Vice President Mike Pence plans to stick to his ceremonial duties and not interfere with the election certification when presiding in Congress on Wednesday, advisers said.

Despite growing pressure from President Donald Trump to help overturn his election loss, Vice President Mike Pence plans to stick to his ceremonial duties and not interfere with the election certification when presiding in Congress on Wednesday, advisers said. Trump ramped up pressure on Pence on Tuesday to block Congress` certification of the November election results in an ongoing attempt to stay in power, after dozens of lawsuits by his campaign challenging election results failed in U.S. courts. But the vice president, a loyal lieutenant during the four years of Trump`s often chaotic presidency, has no plans to attempt to do so, even as he seeks to show support for the Republican president`s quest. Pence is set to preside over a joint session of Congress on Wednesday as it receives the results of the state-by-state Electoral College that determines the winner of presidential elections. President-elect Joe Biden, a Democrat, beat Trump 306-232 in the Electoral College and, in the popular vote, by more than 7 million ballots. Trump has declined to concede the election. U.S. states have already certified the results, and Pence`s role on Wednesday as president of the Senate is to "open all the certificates," in the presence of the House of Representatives and the Senate, the U.S. Constitution says. Trump has suggested Pence could do more than that. "The Vice President has the power to reject fraudulently chosen electors," Trump wrote in a tweet on Tuesday, his latest unfounded suggestion that the election was marred by widespread fraud. Pence told Trump on Tuesday he did not believe he had the power to block the certification, according to a source familiar with the subject. Trump`s tweet came after pointed remarks at a campaign rally for Republican U.S. Senate incumbents in Georgia on Monday night, in which he expressed hope that Pence would intervene. "If he doesn`t come through, I won`t like him quite as much," Trump said. About a dozen Republican senators, as well as dozens of Republicans in the House, plan to object to the certification of the Electoral College results in Congress on Wednesday. The move has virtually no chance of overturning Biden`s victory. `WILL UPHOLD THE CONSTITUTION` Current and former White House aides said the vice president planned to perform his ceremonial duties. "He will be very supportive of the president, but again he`ll stick to the Constitution," one former White House official who has regular contact with Pence`s team told Reuters. The vice president would make clear in his statements that he backs Trump, while sticking to the constraints of the role, the former official said. "It is a ceremonial role. It is opening up envelopes and reading the contents of it," he said. "That`s it." Pence`s chief of staff, Marc Short, told Reuters on Monday that the vice president "will uphold the Constitution and follow the statutory law." On Friday, a Trump-appointed judge rejected a lawsuit brought by Republican members of Congress asking Pence to reject Electoral College results, saying they had no standing for such a suit. One Trump adviser said the president had told others he would like Pence to fight harder for him. The vice president has sought, so far, to express his support without repeating the president`s false claims about the election. On Monday, during his own trip to Georgia, Pence said that Republican objections to the election would be heard, but he did not commit to taking action on them. "I share the concerns of millions of Americans about voting irregularities. And I promise you, come this Wednesday, we`ll have our day in Congress. We’ll hear the objections. We`ll hear the evidence," he said. Following a pattern throughout their partnership, Pence has kept Trump informed about his thinking. The former adviser said Pence likely walked the president through the restrictions of his role, informed by a weekend meeting with a congressional parliamentarian.

Despite pressure from Trump, Pence will not interfere in election count

US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order banning transactions with eight Chinese software applications, including Ant Group's Alipay

The order, signed on Tuesday, tasks the Commerce Department with defining which transactions will be banned under the directive and targets Tencent Holdings Ltd's QQ Wallet and WeChat Pay as well.

The move is aimed at curbing the threat to Americans posed by Chinese software applications, which have large user bases and access to sensitive data.

The order signed by Trump also names CamScanner, SHAREit, Tencent QQ, VMate and WPS Office and says "the United States must take aggressive action against those who develop or control Chinese connected software applications to protect our national security."

The department plans to act before January 20 when Trump leaves office to identify prohibited transactions.

Trump's order says "by accessing personal electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets, and computers, Chinese connected software applications can access and capture vast swaths of information from users, including sensitive personally identifiable information and private information."

It added the data collection "would permit China to track the locations of federal employees and contractors, and build dossiers of personal information."

Another official said the order mirrors earlier Trump executive orders signed in August directing Commerce to block some transactions with WeChat and Chinese-owned Tiktok seeking to bar some transactions that have been blocked by US courts.

The latest action has been under debate within the administration for an extended period. Many administration officials are eager to cement the hardline US position with China on a number of fronts before Trump leaves office.

Last month, the Commerce Department added dozens of Chinese companies, including the country’s top chipmaker SMIC and Chinese drone manufacturer SZ DJI Technology Co Ltd, to a trade blacklist.

Additionally, the Trump administration published a list of Chinese and Russian companies with alleged military ties that restrict them from buying a range of US goods and technology.

In November, the administration put on hold an effort to blacklist Ant Group, the Chinese financial technology company affiliated with e-commerce giant Alibaba.

US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order banning transactions with eight Chinese software applications, including Ant Group's Alipay The order, signed on Tuesday, tasks the Commerce Department with defining which transactions will be banned under the directive and targets Tencent Holdings Ltd's QQ Wallet and WeChat Pay as well.

US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order banning transactions with eight Chinese software applications, including Ant Group's Alipay The order, signed on Tuesday, tasks the Commerce Department with defining which transactions will be banned under the directive and targets Tencent Holdings Ltd's QQ Wallet and WeChat Pay as well. The move is aimed at curbing the threat to Americans posed by Chinese software applications, which have large user bases and access to sensitive data. The order signed by Trump also names CamScanner, SHAREit, Tencent QQ, VMate and WPS Office and says "the United States must take aggressive action against those who develop or control Chinese connected software applications to protect our national security." The department plans to act before January 20 when Trump leaves office to identify prohibited transactions. Trump's order says "by accessing personal electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets, and computers, Chinese connected software applications can access and capture vast swaths of information from users, including sensitive personally identifiable information and private information." It added the data collection "would permit China to track the locations of federal employees and contractors, and build dossiers of personal information." Another official said the order mirrors earlier Trump executive orders signed in August directing Commerce to block some transactions with WeChat and Chinese-owned Tiktok seeking to bar some transactions that have been blocked by US courts. The latest action has been under debate within the administration for an extended period. Many administration officials are eager to cement the hardline US position with China on a number of fronts before Trump leaves office. Last month, the Commerce Department added dozens of Chinese companies, including the country’s top chipmaker SMIC and Chinese drone manufacturer SZ DJI Technology Co Ltd, to a trade blacklist. Additionally, the Trump administration published a list of Chinese and Russian companies with alleged military ties that restrict them from buying a range of US goods and technology. In November, the administration put on hold an effort to blacklist Ant Group, the Chinese financial technology company affiliated with e-commerce giant Alibaba.

Trump signs order banning transactions with eight Chinese apps

China on Wednesday slammed the US over President Donald Trump's&nbsp;executive order banning transactions with eight Chinese software applications, including Ant Group's Alipay mobile payment app, the White House said, escalating tensions with Beijing two weeks before President-elect Joe Biden takes office.

In the latest move to raise tensions, Trump ordered a ban on transactions involving Alipay, WeChat Pay and other apps linked to Chinese companies, saying they could route user information to the government in Beijing.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-signs-order-banning-transactions-with-eight-chinese-apps-354714" hreflang="en">Trump signs order banning transactions with eight Chinese apps</a>

Foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Wednesday the move was an example of "bullying" by the US and accused Washington of "stretching the concept of national security."

China will take necessary measures to safeguard the legitimate rights of companies in view of the&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;order,&nbsp;Chunying told a regular briefing on Wednesday, adding that the US&nbsp;was abusing its national power and unreasonably suppressing foreign companies.

Trump's executive order is to take effect in 45 days -- just weeks after he is replaced in the White House by President-elect Joe Biden on January 20.

But a senior administration official said the order and its implementation have not been discussed with the "potential incoming Biden administration."

The apps targeted by the new ban were chosen because of the extremely high number of downloads, which meant tens of millions of users could be at risk of having their data harvested, according to the administration official.

The order argues that the United States must take "aggressive action" against developers of Chinese software applications to protect national security.

It tasks the Commerce Department with defining which transactions will be banned under the directive within 45 days and targets Tencent Holdings Ltd's QQ Wallet and WeChat Pay as well.

The order also names CamScanner, SHAREit, Tencent QQ, VMate which is published by Alibaba Group subsidiary UCWeb, and Beijing Kingsoft Office Software's WPS Office.

"By accessing personal electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets, and computers, Chinese connected software applications can access and capture vast swaths of information from users, including sensitive personally identifiable information and private information," the executive order states.

Such data collection "would permit China to track the locations of federal employees and contractors, and build dossiers of personal information," the document adds.

Under the Trump administration, Beijing and Washington have clashed repeatedly over trade, technology, human rights and the origins of the coronavirus pandemic.

China on Wednesday slammed the US over President Donald Trump's executive order banning transactions with eight Chinese software applications, including Ant Group's Alipay mobile payment app, the White House said, escalating tensions with Beijing two weeks before President-elect Joe Biden takes office.

China on Wednesday slammed the US over President Donald Trump's executive order banning transactions with eight Chinese software applications, including Ant Group's Alipay mobile payment app, the White House said, escalating tensions with Beijing two weeks before President-elect Joe Biden takes office. In the latest move to raise tensions, Trump ordered a ban on transactions involving Alipay, WeChat Pay and other apps linked to Chinese companies, saying they could route user information to the government in Beijing. Also read: Trump signs order banning transactions with eight Chinese apps Foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Wednesday the move was an example of "bullying" by the US and accused Washington of "stretching the concept of national security." China will take necessary measures to safeguard the legitimate rights of companies in view of the Trump order, Chunying told a regular briefing on Wednesday, adding that the US was abusing its national power and unreasonably suppressing foreign companies. Trump's executive order is to take effect in 45 days -- just weeks after he is replaced in the White House by President-elect Joe Biden on January 20. But a senior administration official said the order and its implementation have not been discussed with the "potential incoming Biden administration." The apps targeted by the new ban were chosen because of the extremely high number of downloads, which meant tens of millions of users could be at risk of having their data harvested, according to the administration official. The order argues that the United States must take "aggressive action" against developers of Chinese software applications to protect national security. It tasks the Commerce Department with defining which transactions will be banned under the directive within 45 days and targets Tencent Holdings Ltd's QQ Wallet and WeChat Pay as well. The order also names CamScanner, SHAREit, Tencent QQ, VMate which is published by Alibaba Group subsidiary UCWeb, and Beijing Kingsoft Office Software's WPS Office. "By accessing personal electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets, and computers, Chinese connected software applications can access and capture vast swaths of information from users, including sensitive personally identifiable information and private information," the executive order states. Such data collection "would permit China to track the locations of federal employees and contractors, and build dossiers of personal information," the document adds. Under the Trump administration, Beijing and Washington have clashed repeatedly over trade, technology, human rights and the origins of the coronavirus pandemic.

'Bullying': China slams US over Trump's order to ban Chinese apps

The United States on Tuesday blacklisted a Chinese company that makes elements for steel production, 12 Iranian steel and metals makers and three foreign-based sales agents of an Iranian metals and mining holding company, seeking to deprive Iran of revenues as U.S. President Donald Trump`s term winds down.

The U.S. Treasury Department, in a statement, named the China-based company as Kaifeng Pingmei New Carbon Materials Technology Co Ltd. (KFCC), saying it specialized in the manufacture of carbon materials and provided thousands of metric tonnes of materials to Iranian steel companies between December 2019 and June 2020.

No one at KFCC, which makes graphite electrodes, was available for comment on Wednesday. Filings show the company is owned by Henan Yicheng New Energy, which said it was unaware of the situation.

Shares in Yicheng, which is ultimately controlled by China`s Henan province, fell as much as 6.7% to a two-week low on Wednesday. When Yicheng was buying KFCC in 2019, it said exports - to Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Europe - accounted for about half of KFCC`s core business.

Among the 12 Iranian companies blacklisted are the Pasargad Steel Complex and the Gilan Steel Complex Co, both of which were designated under Executive Order 13871 for operating in the Iranian steel sector.

The others are: Iran-based Middle East Mines and Mineral Industries Development Holding Co (MIDHCO), Khazar Steel Co, Vian Steel Complex, South Rouhina Steel Complex, Yazd Industrial Constructional Steel Rolling Mill, West Alborz Steel Complex, Esfarayen Industrial Complex, Bonab Steel Industry Complex, Sirjan Iranian Steel and Zarand Iranian Steel Co.

The Treasury said it was also designating MIDHCO’s Germany-based subsidiary GMI Projects Hamburg GmbH, its China-based World Mining Industry Co Ltd and U.K.-based GMI Projects Ltd for being owned or controlled by MIDHCO.

"The Trump Administration remains committed to denying revenue flowing to the Iranian regime as it continues to sponsor terrorist groups, support oppressive regimes, and seek weapons of mass destruction," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in the statement.

Trump`s term ends on Jan. 20, when Democrat President-elect Joe Biden is to be sworn in to succeed him.

The United States on Tuesday blacklisted a Chinese company that makes elements for steel production, 12 Iranian steel and metals makers and three foreign-based sales agents of an Iranian metals and mining holding company, seeking to deprive Iran of revenues as U.

The United States on Tuesday blacklisted a Chinese company that makes elements for steel production, 12 Iranian steel and metals makers and three foreign-based sales agents of an Iranian metals and mining holding company, seeking to deprive Iran of revenues as U.S. President Donald Trump`s term winds down. The U.S. Treasury Department, in a statement, named the China-based company as Kaifeng Pingmei New Carbon Materials Technology Co Ltd. (KFCC), saying it specialized in the manufacture of carbon materials and provided thousands of metric tonnes of materials to Iranian steel companies between December 2019 and June 2020. No one at KFCC, which makes graphite electrodes, was available for comment on Wednesday. Filings show the company is owned by Henan Yicheng New Energy, which said it was unaware of the situation. Shares in Yicheng, which is ultimately controlled by China`s Henan province, fell as much as 6.7% to a two-week low on Wednesday. When Yicheng was buying KFCC in 2019, it said exports - to Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Europe - accounted for about half of KFCC`s core business. Among the 12 Iranian companies blacklisted are the Pasargad Steel Complex and the Gilan Steel Complex Co, both of which were designated under Executive Order 13871 for operating in the Iranian steel sector. The others are: Iran-based Middle East Mines and Mineral Industries Development Holding Co (MIDHCO), Khazar Steel Co, Vian Steel Complex, South Rouhina Steel Complex, Yazd Industrial Constructional Steel Rolling Mill, West Alborz Steel Complex, Esfarayen Industrial Complex, Bonab Steel Industry Complex, Sirjan Iranian Steel and Zarand Iranian Steel Co. The Treasury said it was also designating MIDHCO’s Germany-based subsidiary GMI Projects Hamburg GmbH, its China-based World Mining Industry Co Ltd and U.K.-based GMI Projects Ltd for being owned or controlled by MIDHCO. "The Trump Administration remains committed to denying revenue flowing to the Iranian regime as it continues to sponsor terrorist groups, support oppressive regimes, and seek weapons of mass destruction," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in the statement. Trump`s term ends on Jan. 20, when Democrat President-elect Joe Biden is to be sworn in to succeed him.

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The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) has reversed its decision to delist three Chinese telecoms companies, after consulting with regulatory authorities about a recent US investment ban.

In a brief statement, the stock exchange said it "no longer intends to move forward with the delisting action" for China Telecom, China Mobile, and China Unicom. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/new-york-stock-exchange-to-delist-chinese-telecom-firms-on-us-executive-order-353745">Also read | New York Stock Exchange to delist Chinese telecom firms on US executive order</a> 
 
No detailed reason was given for the sudden reversal but the exchange said it came after "further consultation with relevant regulatory authorities".

Shares in the three state-owned telecoms firms jumped on the news.

The reversal comes just four days after the NYSE said it was ending trading in the companies to comply with an order by the Trump administration barring investment in firms with ties to the Chinese military.

In November, President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning Americans from investing in Chinese companies deemed to be supplying or supporting Beijing's military and security apparatus, earning a sharp rebuke from China.

The order listed 31 companies it said China was using for the "increasing exploitation" of US investment capital to fund military and intelligence services, including the development and deployment of weapons of mass destruction.

To this end, the Chinese Foreign Ministry accused the US of slandering its military-civilian integration policies and vowed to protect the country’s companies.

Under his "America First" banner, Trump has portrayed China as the greatest threat to the United States and global democracy, pursued a trade war with it, harangued Chinese tech firms, and laid all the blame for the coronavirus pandemic at Beijing's door.&nbsp;

Other index providers including MSCI Inc, S&amp;P Dow Jones Indices and Nasdaq have deleted various Chinese firms from their listings.

The US Federal Communications Commission in May barred China Mobile from operating in the US.

(With inputs from agencies)

The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) has reversed its decision to delist three Chinese telecoms companies, after consulting with regulatory authorities about a recent US investment ban.

The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) has reversed its decision to delist three Chinese telecoms companies, after consulting with regulatory authorities about a recent US investment ban. In a brief statement, the stock exchange said it "no longer intends to move forward with the delisting action" for China Telecom, China Mobile, and China Unicom. Also read | New York Stock Exchange to delist Chinese telecom firms on US executive order No detailed reason was given for the sudden reversal but the exchange said it came after "further consultation with relevant regulatory authorities". Shares in the three state-owned telecoms firms jumped on the news. The reversal comes just four days after the NYSE said it was ending trading in the companies to comply with an order by the Trump administration barring investment in firms with ties to the Chinese military. In November, President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning Americans from investing in Chinese companies deemed to be supplying or supporting Beijing's military and security apparatus, earning a sharp rebuke from China. The order listed 31 companies it said China was using for the "increasing exploitation" of US investment capital to fund military and intelligence services, including the development and deployment of weapons of mass destruction. To this end, the Chinese Foreign Ministry accused the US of slandering its military-civilian integration policies and vowed to protect the country’s companies. Under his "America First" banner, Trump has portrayed China as the greatest threat to the United States and global democracy, pursued a trade war with it, harangued Chinese tech firms, and laid all the blame for the coronavirus pandemic at Beijing's door. Other index providers including MSCI Inc, S&P Dow Jones Indices and Nasdaq have deleted various Chinese firms from their listings. The US Federal Communications Commission in May barred China Mobile from operating in the US. (With inputs from agencies)

New York Stock Exchange scraps plan to delist China telecom firms

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