January 6 U.S. Capitol riot

Rioters outside the U.S. Capitol building during the afternoon rampage that injured 140 policemen and severely damaged the building itself.

The January 6 U.S. Capitol riot occurred in 2021 when then-president Donald Trump's supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol building in an attempt to prevent the U.S. Congress from certifying the electoral votes from the Nov. 2020 presidential election (in which Joe Biden was elected as the next President of the United States of America). Because it was an attempt to prevent a legitimate president-elect from taking office, the attack was widely regarded as an insurrection or attempted coup d’état incited by outgoing president Donald Trump.

In the weeks between the election in early Nov. 2020 and January 6 ('21), Trump had vigorously contested the 2020 election results in a social media campaign called "Stop the Steal", though with no actual evidence (as determined by numerous lost lawsuits). Per the "January 6th Report" later issued by Congress, the riot was a last-ditch effort after multiple futile attempts by Trump to get the 2020 election results overturned, as he also tried to intimidate various state and federal officials (including his own vice-president, Mike Pence) to take illegal actions designed to overthrow valid election results. As of early 2023, Trump has not been prosecuted on any of these allegations.

Beginning in early afternoon of Jan. 6, 2021, an armed mob assaulted the Capitol police force and would injure 140 law officers before the day was over. Rioters broke past police lines; more than 2000 of the attackers broke into the U.S. Capitol building (by breaking windows and locked doors) and tried to reach senators and congressional representatives, either to harm them or hold them as hostages. The building's furnishings, doorways, and artwork were severely damaged. A protester was shot by police at the door into one of the houses of congress and died in the chaos. A Capitol policeman died soon after the attack, possibly from a blow to the head. Another committed suicide within weeks of the attack. During the attack, there was frequent chanting of "Hang Mike Pence" and demands of "Where's Nancy?" as the rioters sought to detain then-vice-president Mike Pence (GOP, Indiana) and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (Democrat, California).

All the congressional members and staff escaped intact, but only narrowly. After Capitol police and assisting forces regained control of the building, Congress resumed session late that night in a defiant, bi-partisan gesture, and it completed the certification of the votes in the wee hours of the following morning. Throughout the riot, Trump's Department of Defense declined to send assistance to Capitol police.

President Donald Trump (GOP) has been criticized widely for inciting the riot and attempting to interfere with the peaceful and lawful transfer of power between presidents, and for having allowed it to continue for 178 minutes until he finally saw that it had failed in its intended purpose, only then issuing a weak message via Twitter urging rioters to go home and saying "We love you. You're very special".

After the riot, as nearly a thousand of its participants began to be prosecuted, Trump's popularity waned drastically, although as of early 2023, he still commands a loud and potentially violent following and has control of enough of the Republican party's finances to be able to threaten and cajole various party members to do as he says.