After an extraordinary day in which supporters of outgoing Republican President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol, Congress was finally able to finalize Democratic President-elect Joe Biden's win.
Vice President Mike Pence formally ascertained Biden's win overnight on Jan. 7.
It was the last step in affirming Biden's election ahead of the Jan. 20 inauguration. However, it was a step marred by violence fueled by Trump, who urged his followers to march on the Capitol to pressure lawmakers to overturn the results. Pence, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and other government leaders were taken to safety as a mob overtook the Capitol and shut down proceedings for hours. Police forces and the National Guardcriticized for taking several hours to respondreturned the building to order. Four people died (including San Diego woman Ashli Babbitt, who Capitol police shot) and 45 people were arrested in the melee.
Politico noted that, after Congress reconvened, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer blamed the violence on Trump's incitement and said Jan. 6, 2021, would go down alongside the attack on Pearl Harbor (Dec. 7, 1941) as a day that will "live in infamy." McConnell labeled the riots a "failed insurrection."
CNN.com reported that after Pence certified Biden's win, Trump issued a statement promising an orderly transition: "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. I have always said we would continue our fight to ensure that only legal votes were counted. While this represents the end of the greatest first term in presidential history, it's only the beginning of our fight to Make America Great Again."