Trump’s supporters storm the Capitol to block the transfer of power

INSTEAD OF THE dull, pro-forma ritual that normally marks the joint session of Congress that certifies a presidential victory, Washington on January 6th experienced what was at best a riot, at worst an insurrection. But the attempts by both the mob and Mr Trump’s congressional allies to overturn the result of November’s election failed when Congress confirmed Mr Biden as the new president in the early hours of January 7th.

Soon after the joint session began, hundreds of President Donald Trump’s supporters stormed the Capitol building, chanting “Stop the steal”, tearing down fencing, overwhelming the police and forcing their way in. Police evacuated staffers from Hill office buildings. Both chambers of Congress adjourned (they were debating an objection made by Paul Gosar, a far-right congressman from Arizona, to his own state’s certified results—an objection that won him a round of applause from his caucus). The secret service whisked Vice-President Mike Pence away. Police even reportedly began evacuating private homes near the Capitol.