Investigations of the January 6th Capitol Riot Unveils New Details
Anas Yousuf • June 24, 2024
Following his loss at the 2020 election, former President Donald Trump went on Twitter and “highly” urged his supporters to protest the results on January 6th, the day that Congress would certify the results of the election. One of his tweets said, “Be there, will be wild!” These actions would eventually lead to the horrifying day we now know was the Capital riot of January 6.
How Did This Begin?
Trump’s tweets insinuated many militant organizations to group together and form a logistical plan to storm the Capitol. One group’s facebook page encouraged its followers to post the locations of their “enemies” – these enemies are known as our state’s governors, mayors, etc. Trump continued to feed their mindsets as he repeatedly stated false claims about the election in multiple states. Since Biden narrowly won in a few states, Trump made his followers believe that those election results were a lie, purely made up of fake votes to put Biden in the front.
On the morning of January 6, Trump gave a speech in the elliptical park near the White House known as the Ellipse. He encouraged his followers to walk down to Pennsylvania Avenue and incite Republican lawmakers with the “kind of pride and boldness they need to take back our country.” Provoked by Trump, the mob stormed the Capitol.
What Were the Damages?
Even before Trump finished his speech, a mob – consisting of members from right-wing groups such as the Proud Boys, the Oath Keepers, and the Three Percenters – pushed through Capitol grounds. They forced their way through Capitol police officers and forced them to retreat to the Capitol’s last line of barricades.
Once Trump’s rally had finished, the mob had exponentially grown in size while the Capitol police got nowhere near enough backup necessary. Very shortly, the officers were overwhelmed and were attacked by deadly weapons, chemicals, or simply being trampled by the mob itself. Over 100 police officers were injured and around 10 of them sadly passed away.
Very quickly, the vicious mob made their way past the police officers and over the last barricade, running up the steps of the Capitol and some even scaling the walls. Glass shattering, doors breaking, and Republicans and Democrats alike scrambled for their lives. Many were taken to safe shelters while others were in fear for their lives.
The mob seemed to tarnish the entire Capitol while still having specific rooms they wanted to attack. One such example of this was their quest to find former Vice President Mike Pence, as Trump said Pence failed him when he was unable to find fake votes and make Trump the president. A total of $1.5 million in damages was incurred.
One main area of concern resonated throughout the country: why did the National Guard take so long to respond? The 1,400 police officers that were present were forced to deal with the mob and received no help for hours. As this circulated in the Pentagon, news was being revealed to the public. It was said that the President initially denied requests for their deployment. Sources say that Trump was simply watching the riot take place and was “pleased.”
Even Donald Trump’s daughter and his former advisor pleaded with him to call off the riot, yet her cries went unheard. It would take hours for Trump to go on Twitter and tell his followers to “go home.” However, he was still banned from Twitter for his hate-inducing tweets before, during, and after the riots.
What Now?
Among the four indictments that Trump has received, the third indictment was for him inciting the January 6 Capitol riot (Click here to read about his other indictments). Although the extent of the punishments he will receive is still unsure, stay updated to learn more as time goes on.