IGNITED STATE OF AMERICA
US Congress affirms Joe Biden as next President hours after mob incited by Trump breaches Capitol, lays siege to try and prevent customary count
WASHINGTON: US Congress certified President-elect Joe Biden’s election victory in the early on Thursday morning, hours after it was stormed, assaulted, and occupied by supporters incited by President Donald Trump’s false and baseless claims of poll fraud, in a shocking attack on democracy that has been described as an insurrection and was watched with horror around the world.
Vice-President Mike Pence, who presided over the joint session of congress to certify the election, declared Biden had won the electoral college at 3:41am (2.11pm IST), bringing down the curtain on his boss’s flagrant disregard of democratic norms. Trump, whose Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts were suspended, issued a statement shortly after through a White House social media account, saying, “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.”
It took the outgoing president more than 60 days to concede defeat in the November 2020 presidential election, during which time he and his allies filed and lost more than 60 lawsuits, sought and lost many full and partial recounts, denied Biden’s team routine transition access, and, finally, incited a most shocking assault on American democracy, breaching the home of US Congress for the first time since 1812, when it was attacked by the British during a war.
Lawmakers returned to the session escorted by heavily armed security personnel from a mélange of agencies, some armed with long guns, late Wednesday evening to resume the largely ritualistic constitutional process to grant Biden’s victory one final affirmation, that had been suddenly interrupted by Trump’s marauding supporters who had forced their way into the Capitol, overpowering security personnel by their sheer numbers. They reached deep inside the building, forced lawmakers to shelter in place under desks and in rooms. Many of them broke furniture to use them as clubs to protect themselves against the rioters.
One woman was killed in clashes that broke out between the insurrectionists and security personnel, and three people died of medical emergencies on the Capitol grounds, several people were injured, including law enforcement personnel, and dozens were taken into custody.The rioters had been driven out of the building by late evening.