Team News Riveting
The Congress has certified the electoral college victory of President Joe Biden early on Thursday after a U.S. Capitol siege that resulted in four deaths.
One woman was shot to death, three died from “medical emergencies” and 52 were arrested after pro-Trump supporters stormed the Capitol Hill on Wednesday.
In a one-minute video released hours after the break-in, President Trump told rioters to go home while comforting them and repeating false claims about his defeat.
“This was a fraudulent election, but we can’t play into the hands of these people. We have to have peace. So go home. We love you. You’re very special,” he said.
At least four top White House officials, including deputy national security advisor Matt Pottinger, chief of staff to the first lady Stephanie Grisham, White Houe social secretary Rickie Niceta and deputy White House press secretary Sarah Matthews have resigned in the wake of Trump’s response to the mob.
More are reportedly mulling resignation.
The electoral college vote to certify Joe Biden’s victory was briefly interrupted on Wednesday after angry protesters breached the halls of Congress. The mob, some dressed in costumes, scaled walls to break into the building, where lawmakers had to be evacuated from the chambers. Muriel Bowser, mayor of Washington, DC has ordered a citywide curfew.
Both Facebook and Twitter have taken the extraordinary step of locking Trump’s account. The former took down videos of his baseless claims of election fraud, while the latter locked him out of his account for 12 hours, threatening a permanent suspension if the president does not delete tweets that violate the company’s policy.
The Capitol complex was secured in the evening after four hours of chaos. Vote-counting has since resumed with Vice President Mike Pence presiding over the joint session of Congress.
“To those who wreaked havoc in our Capitol today, you did not win,” said Pence, issuing condemnation “in the strongest possible terms.”
Both the Senate and the Congress have rejected objection to Arizona electoral votes.
According to multiple reports, some cabinet secretaries are discussing invocations of a section of the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office.
