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Today is the day that president-elect Joe Biden’s election victory over Donald Trump in the November elections will be formally counted and affirmed by both the House and the Senate. The joint session was abruptly postponed due to Trump supporters rioting into the Capitol.
Biden’s election victory sees the president-elect winning 306 electoral college votes compared to Trump, who has 232. His votes that have already been state-certified are set to be formally recognized by both chambers today with vice president Mike Pence presiding over the proceedings. However, the joint session was put to a halt as crowds of armed Trump supporters broke into the Capitol, some of which were carrying and waving Confederate flags. The storm-in comes as dozens of Republican lawmakers have announced their plans to object to Biden’s win.
Led by Senators Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley, this has forced lawmakers to seek refuge and hide from the chaos that was long hinted at by Trump in his refusal to concede. This was believed to be the last-ditch attempt to undermine the election and keep Trump in power, who has since pushed his unfounded claims of election or voter fraud. Lawsuits filed by allies to contest election results have widely been dismissed. In the midst of the chaos was one casualty as a woman was shot in the chest and was later pronounced dead at the hospital she was brought to.
The National Guard and other law enforcement have already been called in both by Pence and Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller to take control of the riots. Over a dozen people have since been arrested and detained. Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has long warned his GOP colleagues to avoid contesting the results.
The chaos comes as Biden is two weeks away from being inaugurated as the next president of the United States. Due to the pandemic, Biden’s inauguration would be smaller-scale as the president-elect’s inauguration team have advised supporters to stay indoors and avoid traveling to witness the inauguration in person. Rather than having a parade down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House, an online parade would be hosted instead.
