The US Senate vowed to certify Joe Biden’s election victory as lawmakers returned to the Capitol Building after the pro-Trump rioters attack on Washington DC.
Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer blasted Donald Trump for his role in the shameful riots his supporters carried out in Washington DC.
“This will be a stain on our country not so easily washed away. The final, terrible, indelible legacy of the 45th president of the United States, undoubtedly the worst,” said Mr Schumer.
Earlier former president Barack Obama took to Twitter to condemn Donald Trump for “inciting” the shocking violence that happened in Washington DC.
A woman was shot inside the US Capitol Building as lawmakers are set to certify Joe Biden’s election victory after the Trump riot.
Authorities confirmed that the woman had died after being shot in the chest when Mr Trump’s supporters stormed the Capitol Building to try and prevent the certification.
DC mayor extends public emergency order for 15 days
Washington DC’s mayor Muriel Bowser has extended the public emergency in the city for 15 days.
The mayor earlier introduced a 6pm to 6am curfew across the city following the Pro-Trump riot that saw the outgoing president’s supporters storm the Capitol Building.
Joe Biden will be sworn in as the 46th president of the United States at noon on 20 January.
Senate rejects GOP objection to Arizona’s Electoral College vote for Biden
The Senate voted down a Republican objection to Arizona awarding its 11 Electoral College votes to Joe Biden following a dramatic series of speeches about a pro-Donald Trump mob storming the Capitol.
After angry Trump loyalists, after the president himself whipped them into a vandals frenzy at a midday rally near the White House, broke into the Capitol, several GOP senators rose in the chamber to announce they would drop plans to join any further House objections.
John T Bennett has more below:
US Senate rejects objection to Arizona’s electoral vote count.
The US Senate has rejected the objection to Arizona’s electoral vote count 93-6 in a vote that was delayed by pro-Trump rioters storming the Capitol building.
The objection process will now continue in the House, which is several hours behind the US Senate in its debate and not expected to complete its process until 11.30pm ET.
A group of 12 senators had planned to vote for the objections but a number of them have now changed their minds after the violence that ensued.
Republican Senator Josh Hawley will reportedly still object to the electoral vote in Pennsylvania.
Senators Cruz, Hawley, Tuberville, Marshall, Hyde-Smith, Kennedy all voted to reject Mr Biden’s victory.
Obama joins Bush and Clinton in condemning violence at Capitol that ‘desecrated’ chambers of democracy
Barack Obama has joined fellow former presidents George W Bush and Bill Clinton in condemnation of the violence on Capitol Hill, directly calling out Donald Trump for inciting the actions of the rioters.
He wrote: “History will rightly remember today’s violence at the Capitol, incited by a sitting president who has continued to baselessly lie about the outcome of a lawful election, as a moment of great dishonour and shame for our nation.”
“But we’d be kidding ourselves if we treated it as a total surprise,” Mr Obama added.
Oliver O’Connell has more below:
Woman shot and killed in Trump riot identified as veteran
The woman shot and killed during the Trump riot has been identified as a 14-year air force veteran.
Ashli Babbit, who is from San Diego, died after rioters stormed the US Capitol to try and overturn the outgoigng president’s electoral defeat.
“I really don’t know why she decided to do this,” Ms Babbit’s unnamed mother-in-law told FOX 5 DC.
Trump ‘resisted sending in National Guard’ after rioters stormed the Capitol
Donald Trump is said to have initially sending in the National Guard to clear rioters who stormed the US Capitol, leaving it up to Mike Pence to do so.
Even though police on Capitol Hill were overwhelmed after they were stormed by the president’s supporters, shortly after a speech he delivered, the president was unwilling to activate the National Guard.
The New York Times said, instead, Mr Pence approved the order to deploy the guard, acting in conjunction with Pat Cipollone, the White House counsel.
Andrew Buncombe has more below:
Trump and Giuliani still urging senators to go through with objections
Donald Trump was still pressuring Republican senators to go through with their objections to certifying Joe Biden’s election victory, says a report.
The outgoing president and his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani were still making calls to senators to try and convince them to carry on with their opposition to certification.
Lawmakers restarted their joint session after the violence of the Trump riot earlier in the day, and it remained unclear if Senator Josh Hawley still planned on going through with his planned objection to Pennsylvania’s results, according to CNN.
Senator Roger Marshall would also reportedly not confirm if he would still object to the results from Georgia and Pennsylvania.
Trump initially refused requests to mobilise National Guard
Donald Trump initially refused to mobilise the National Guard as a mob of his supporters stormed the Capitol Building, reports say.
Instead it was vice president Mike Pence who was forced to bring in troops to regain control rather than the outgoing president, according to the New York Times.
Kelly Loeffler says she will drop objection to Biden election victory
Defeated Georgia senator Kelly Loeffler says she will drop her objection to Joe Biden’s election victory.
Ms Loeffler said that “in good conscience” she could no longer oppose the certification following the pro-Trump violence in the Capitol Building.
“I pray that America never suffers such a dark day again,” she said.
Her change in heart came days after she was cheered by Trump supporters at a rally in Georgia when she promised to do it.
Ms Loeffler was comfortably beaten for the open senate seat by Democrat Raphael Warnock on Tuesday.
Chuck Schumer eviscerates Donald Trump and his ‘final, terrible, indelible legacy’
Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer blasted Donald Trump for his role in the shameful riots his supporters carried out in Washington DC.
“This will be a stain on our country not so easily washed away. The final, terrible, indelible legacy of the 45th president of the United States, undoubtedly the worst,” said Mr Schumer.
“Make no mistake, my friends, today’s events did not happen spontaneously.
“The president who promoted conspiracy theories that motivated these thugs … this president bears a great deal of the blame. This mob was a good part Trump’s doing.”
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