clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile
Everyone deserves an explanation Vox's journalism is free, because we believe that everyone deserves to understand the world they live in. Reader support helps us do that. Can you chip in to help keep Vox free for all?

Filed under:

  • Stream

Trump supporters storm the US Capitol: News and updates

A Trump rally calling to overturn the 2020 election results devolved into a breach of the Capitol.

Contributors: Vox Staff

On Wednesday, January 6, supporters of President Donald Trump gathered in Washington, DC, for what Trump dubbed a “Save America Rally,” a two-day event meant to demonstrate support for the disproven conspiracy theory that widespread fraud marred the 2020 presidential election — and that Trump, rather than Joe Biden, is the rightful winner of that contest.

Later in the day, Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol building as lawmakers worked within to certify President-elect Biden’s 2020 Electoral College win. The debate over the results was stopped abruptly when senators were told, “Protesters are in the building,” Vox’s Sean Collins and Zack Beauchamp report. Vice President Mike Pence, who was presiding over the session, was swiftly escorted from the Senate chamber. At least one person has been shot.

As all of this unfolded, some Republicans pleaded with Trump to denounce the violent mob that breached the Capitol. Instead, Trump released a video message legitimizing their conspiracy theories.

Follow this storystream for the latest updates on the US Capitol breach.

101 Total Updates Since
Jan 6, 2021, 2:45pm EST
  • January 16, 2021

    The warning signs before the Capitol riot

    By Liz Scheltens

    No one should have been surprised.

  • January 15, 2021

    “I think this is a wake-up call”: Seeing a familiar face in the Capitol riot

    By Luke Winkie

    Some are grappling with the prevalence of extremism in America, after seeing coworkers and fellow churchgoers in the riot.

  • January 15, 2021

    By clamping down on DC rioters, Airbnb is finally acting like it owns the place

    By Rani Molla

    The home-sharing platform took drastic measures to prevent violence in the capital — but at what cost?

  • January 14, 2021

    Trump won’t say the one thing that could really calm down his followers

    By Aaron Rupar

    The president refuses to distance himself from the election lies that motivated the Capitol riot.

  • January 14, 2021

    A running list of corporate responses to the Capitol riot

    By Melinda Fakuade

    Corporate America wants to distance itself from Trump. Is it too late?

  • January 14, 2021

    The F Word

    By Dylan Matthews

    The debate over whether to call Donald Trump a fascist, and why it matters.

  • January 14, 2021

    Corporate America takes away Trump’s toys

    By Emily Stewart

    America’s elites got what they wanted from Donald Trump. Now they’re walking away.

  • January 14, 2021

    Can Captain America serve two dramatically different versions of America?

    By Aja Romano

    What America’s jolting start to a new year means for the Marvel superhero.

  • January 14, 2021

    What the history of the Ku Klux Klan can teach us about the Capitol riot

    By Anna North

    "It’s not going to stop with this," a historian who studies the Klan explains.

  • January 13, 2021

    A fight over metal detectors reveals how broken Congress really is

    By Jerusalem Demsas

    "They cannot stop me!": Some Republicans express outrage over new security after January 6 attack.

  • January 13, 2021

    The perilous state of American democracy, in one photo

    By Alex Ward

    National Guard members are staying at the US Capitol to protect it from supporters of President Donald Trump.

  • January 13, 2021

    Can the Republican Party be saved?

    By Sean Illing

    Why de-radicalizing the GOP is both urgent and extremely difficult.

  • January 12, 2021

    Justice Department: Recent arrests are “only the beginning” of the Capitol riot investigation

    By Anna North

    The FBI and Justice Department promised an aggressive response Tuesday, even as questions remain.

  • January 12, 2021

    What far-right extremists have planned for inauguration weekend

    By Anna North

    The FBI has been alerted of threats to "storm" government offices in every state.

  • January 12, 2021

    US military chiefs warn troops against “sedition and insurrection” before Biden inauguration

    By Alex Ward

    This is a remarkable statement by the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

  • January 12, 2021

    Ibram X. Kendi on why white America is still shocked by white supremacy

    By Fabiola Cineas

    Antiracism work continues in 2021, but the events of January 6 prove that fighting bigotry is a journey.

  • January 12, 2021

    Lawmakers are testing positive for Covid-19 after the Capitol lockdown

    By Sean Collins

    At least five lawmakers have tested positive since the Capitol insurrection.

  • January 12, 2021

    Trump rewrites history, calls pre-riot speech “totally appropriate”

    By Aaron Rupar

    He took no responsibility for the death and destruction while blaming Democrats for "causing tremendous danger."

  • January 12, 2021

    The case for consequences

    By Zack Beauchamp

    Why Republicans have to be held accountable for the attack on Capitol Hill.

  • January 12, 2021

    Police bias explains the Capitol riot

    By Anna North

    Law enforcement didn’t treat the Capitol rioters as a threat. The consequences were disastrous.

  • January 12, 2021

    Insurrection merch shows just how mainstream extremism has become

    By Hilary George-Parkin

    As rioters stormed the Capitol, their shirts spoke loud and clear.

  • January 11, 2021

    Here are the few Republicans who have called for Trump’s removal

    By Jen Kirby

    Lisa Murkowski and Pat Toomey are the two Republican senators who have said Trump should resign.

  • January 11, 2021

    Republicans want to move on from the Trump riot without any self-reckoning

    By Aaron Rupar

    "I’m hoping we can come back together," insist the very people who tore the country apart.

  • January 11, 2021

    Democrats introduce article of impeachment against Trump

    By Sean Collins

    House Democrats say Trump must be impeached for "inciting violence against the Government of the United States."

  • January 11, 2021

    The online far right is angry, exultant, and ready for more

    By Jerusalem Demsas

    "It’s like a hall of mirrors": The online far right’s disordered response to the storming of the Capitol.