Timeline: Trump U.S. Capitol riot by the minute
On January 6, 2021 a mob supporting President Donald Trump and opposing the 2020 Electoral College certification broke into the U.S. Capitol and ransacked the House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate and offices of members of Congress. Rioters reached the CVC level of Congress, which was built in case of emergencies following the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. Four people died during the Jan. 6 mob attack, including a civilian woman who was shot inside the Capitol building. A total of 52 people were arrested during the day while two Improvised Explosive Devices were found - one on Capitol grounds and the other at the Republican National Committee Headquarters.
The event marked the largest security event at the U.S. Capitol since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, and the first time the Capitol had been under siege since the War of 1812.
Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021
7:41 a.m.: Michael Mulvaney, President Trump’s former Chief of Staff and Special Envoy to Northern Ireland, resigned from the administration.
The former South Carolina Congressman and Tea Party member told CNBC he could no longer stay with the administration after the Tuesday, Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by Pro-Trump protesters.
The folks who spent time away from our families, put our careers on the line to go work for Donald Trump, and we did have those successes to go look back at, but now it will always be, ‘Oh yeah, you worked for the guy who tried to take over the government.’
- Michael Mulvaney, former White House Chief of Staff
4:25 a.m.: The Senate finished certifying the Electoral College and President-Elect Joe Biden’s win, an over 13-hour ordeal that included a siege of the U.S. Capitol building by protesters, four deaths and 52 arrests. The only objection filed during the remaining states were results from the state of Pennsylvania, which led to a short debate and roll-call vote that denied the objection.
3:55 a.m.: In a statement released by the White House, President Trump agreed to an orderly transition of power on Jan. 20 when Joe Biden is sworn in as Vice President.
It was the first time Trump had said publicly he would be willing to transfer power, but stopped short of conceding the election.
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 Jan. 20. While this represents the end of the greatest first term in presidential history, it’s only the beginning of our fight to Make America Great Again
- President Donald Trump
2 a.m.: Ashli Babbitt, an Air Force veteran from San Diego, was identified by the New York Post, as the woman shot and killed inside the U.S. Capitol building on Wednesday during the riot.
Babbitt served 14 years in the Air Force. On her personal Twitter account, https://twitter.com/Ashli_Babbitt, the Post said she tweeted about attending the protests in the days leading to the Electoral College certification. Those tweets appear to have been since removed
Posts that remain included retweets of a video from an “anti-mask protest” at a store, a post demanding the return of the firing squad to deal with ‘traitors’ and several tweets from former Trump campaign official Mike Flynn.
Babbitt’s husband said he wasn’t notified of her death by officials, he found out watching TV. Her mother-in-law was shocked.
“I really don’t know why she decided to do this,” she said, according to a reporter from a Washington D.C. FOX affiliate.
Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021
11:48 p.m.: Several members of Congress objected to the certification of votes from Georgia, but “after the events of the day” no Senator would back the objection and the votes were certified. Senator Josh Hawley later objected to the certification of votes from Pennsylvania, pushing the certification into a debate which lasted just several minutes and a roll call vote. It was the only state to be objected to by a Senator.
11:36 p.m.: TheHill.com reports DC Police counted four dead from the riot inside the U.S. Capitol and 52 arrests.
11:31 p.m.: Vice President Mike Pence’s Chief of Staff was denied entry to the White House on Wednesday evening because Trump believed he gave the VP “advice.”
11:14 p.m.: Reports of White House officials discussing the possibility of invoking the 25th Amendment continued to leak through the day. At least three White House staffers had resigned by the early evening hours, including the Deputy White House Press Secretary and the First Lady’s Chief of Staff. The New York Times reported several federal officials and members of Congress were urging the White House cabinet to consider invoking the amendment. Calls also grew from outside the Federal government, including the DC Attorney General as well as the heads of several business and civic associations.
9:29 p.m.: Three White House staffers resigned in wake of Pro-Trump riots inside the U.S. Capitol.
7:46 p.m.: CNN reported Vice President Mike Pence had not left the U.S. Capitol during the siege and stayed to help manage response.
5:32 p.m.: D.C. Metro Police reported 13 people were arrested during the siege of the U.S. Capitol. Chief Robert Contee said all 13 were from outside the Washington D.C. area. He said several police officers were injured during the riot and five weapons were recovered.
4:56 p.m.: Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley tweeted a photo of the electoral college votes that were rescued from the Senate floor before rioters entered the Chambers.
4:53 p.m.: John Kruzel, Supreme Court and legal affairs reporter for TheHill.com, posted a statement from Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller who said he and the Joint Chiefs of Staff had been in regular contact with Vice President Mike Pence, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senators Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer and Representative Steny Hoyer about activating the National Guard.
3:37 p.m.: According to the Associated Press, National Association of Manufacturers CEO Jay Timmons released a statement calling on Vice President Mike Pence and other White House officials to invoke the 25th Amendment and remove President Trump from office due to his statements and actions prior to the U.S. Capitol riot.
The outgoing president incited violence in an attempt to retain power, and any elected leader defending him is violating their oath to the Constitution and rejecting democracy in favor of anarchy.
- Jay Timmons, CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers
Karl Racine, Attorney General for the District of Columbia, also asked for Congress or the Cabinet to invoke the Amendment and remove Trump.
2:41 p.m.: One Improvised Explosive Device was found at the U.S. Capitol building and another outside the headquarters of the Republican National Headquarters, according to CNN.
2:30 p.m.: One woman was shot and killed inside the U.S. Capitol as a pro-Trump mob rioted inside. According to the New York Times, the woman was only identified as a civilian.
2:15 p.m.: According to the Associated Press, DC Police asked for the National Guard to be deployed at the Capitol to help maintain the riot. President Trump
initially resisted attempts to deploy the Guard, according to Forbes. The New York Times and CNN reported Vice President Mike Pence gave the order to deploy troops later.
1:47 p.m.: President Trump posted on Twitter to ask his supporters to remain “peaceful” and to support Capitol police. This came after Trump called on people at a rally held earlier in the day to head to the Capitol, according to the Associated Press.
1:45 p.m.: Congressional and Senate lawmakers were evacuated from the U.S. Capitol after mobs of Trump supporters raided the building. Police on the scene were out-manned despite some wearing riot gear and having pepper spray. Protesters broke into the building and were posting photos on social media entering the offices of Congressional members, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and one protester standing at the dais in the Senate Chamber. Another protester was photographed inside the U.S. Capitol with a Confederate flag.
1:40 p.m.: Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser set a curfew for 6 p.m. after violence broke out inside the U.S. Capitol.
1:35 p.m.: President Donald Trump posted a Tweet targeting VP Mike Pence for not nullifying the electoral college. The tweet has since been removed by Twitter. His account was locked by the social media platform after he continued to incite his supporters by claiming he won the election in a landslide.
1:35 p.m: Protesters began climbing the steps into the U.S. Capitol and breaking into the building.
1:25 p.m.: Shortly after the beginning of electoral college certification, Vice President Mike Pence released a statement to media outlets saying he did not have the authority to unilaterally reject the certification of electoral college votes from states, a major break from President Trump.
It is my considered judgement that my oath to support and defend the Constitution constrains me from claiming unilateral authority authority to determine which electoral votes should be counted and which should not.
- Vice President Mike Pence
1 p.m.: Vice President Mike Pence began presiding the Electoral College Certification in the House of Representatives. Arizona, the third state to be brought to certification, received objections from several House and Senate members, including Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. Members of Congress and the Senate then adjourned and began moving to the Senate to discuss the objections for a two-hour period. Arizona was narrowly won by Joe Biden in November. Some Republicans in Congress and the Senate were expected to object to certifications for Arizona, Georgia and Pennsylvania.
10 a.m.: During a rally against the certification of the Electoral College, Former New York Mayor and current Trump legal counsel Rudolph Giuliani called for, “trial by combat,” between Biden and Trump to resolve the election, despite no evidence of election fraud.
“We’ve staked both our reputations on finding fraud,” Giuliani said in a report from Yahoo News. “If we’re wrong, we’ll be made fools of, so let’s have trial by combat.”
Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021
Georgia incumbent Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue lost run-off elections to Democrats Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff. The election flipped the Senate from the Republicans to the Democrats. According to Politico.com, Republicans in the state blamed the losses on President Trump. Trump had peddled claims the Georgia election system was rigged after he lost the state in November.
CNN quoted a senior Georgia Republican on Trump: “Not since General Sherman has one man does as much damage, to as many people, in as little time.”
Washington D.C. Metro Police arrested six people ahead of the Electoral College Certification on Tuesday evening. Protesters were in town ahead of the certification attending rallies to support Trump and to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, even though there is no Congressional redress for such an action and fraud claims across several states have gone unfounded.
Monday, Jan. 4, 2021
During a rally for Georgia Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, President Donald Trump reiterated his claim he won the 2020 presidential election. Trump pushed that Congress could not certify Biden’s election and that it could be invalidated by Vice President Mike Pence.
“People will remember the people who don’t support us,” Trump said, according to Politico.com.