Three Wednesdays that changed America.
A deadly insurrection, a historic impeachment and the inauguration of Joseph R. Biden Jr. as the 46th President of the United States.
The chaotic first 20 days of the year started with mobs supporting President Donald Trump storming the US Capitol on January 6 after he urged them to fight against the ceremonial counting of electoral votes ratifying Biden’s victory.
A week later, on January 13, the House of Representatives made Trump the first President to be impeached twice after his desperate bid to cling to power.
On Wednesday, Trump flew to Florida hours before Biden took the oath of office – along with Kamala Harris as the first female, first Black and first South Asian vice president – in the same area outside the Capitol that had been overrun weeks earlier by the pro-Trump mobs.
Here is a brief timeline of three historic Wednesdays:
The insurrection
“Let’s have trial by combat!” Trump’s personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, told the crowd before the President arrived at the Ellipse to warm up participants of the “Save America March” on the morning of January 6.
Trump repeated weeks of false claims that the presidential election was rigged and fraudulent. He looked out on throngs of flag-waving, MAGA-hat wearing supporters he had invited to descend on Washington for the congressional certification of the election. Trump worked up the crowd with claims that “the states got defrauded” and railed against “pathetic Republicans” who failed to challenge Biden’s win.
“We’re gonna walk down to the Capitol. And we’re gonna cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women,” Trump said. “You’ll never take back our country with weakness. You have to show strength and you have to be strong.”
Shortly after 1 p.m., hundreds of protesters pushed through barriers erected along the perimeter of the Capitol. They tussled with officers in riot gear.
By 2:30 p.m., the rioters had broken into the Capitol building, with some chanting, “Hang Mike Pence.” The vice president was whisked to safety with his wife and daughter though some reports said the insurrectionists came within minutes of reaching Pence. After the doors were secured, some Trump supporters smashed windows and let themselves in.
The insurrectionists kicked and beat police with their own batons. They sprayed them with chemical irritants and threatened to kill them. One police officer and four other people – including a female protester who was shot by police – died in the aftermath of the riot.
Lawmakers and staff were on lockdown. Capitol Police drew their guns to protect the House chamber.
One rioter was photographed carrying a pole flying the Confederate flag. The man trotted across the tiled floors of the Capitol, past the portraits of abolitionist Charles Sumner and slaveholder John Calhoun.
After police cleared the Capitol, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued a statement that Congress intended to reconvene that night to finish affirming Biden’s election.
Shortly before 4 a.m. on January 7, Congress finalized Biden’s Electoral College victory.
“We deplore the desecration of the United States Capitol Building, the shedding of innocent blood, the loss of life, and the quagmire of dysfunction that threaten our democracy,” Senate Chaplain Barry Black said in a prayer moments after the congressional ratification.
“These tragedies have reminded us that words matter and that the power of life and death is in the tongue,” he said. “We have been warned that eternal vigilance continues to be freedom’s price.”
The impeachment
On January 13, the House of Representatives voted to impeach Trump for a second time in the same chamber that lawmakers had fled a week earlier in fear of their lives from the invading mob seeking to stop the transfer of power to Biden.
The House voted 232-197 to impeach Trump in the fourth presidential impeachment in US history. It was the first time a President had been impeached twice.
Ten Republicans, including the House’s No. 3 Republican, Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, joined all Democrats to impeach Trump for “incitement of insurrection.”
“Donald John Trump, by such conduct, has demonstrated that he will remain a threat to national security, democracy, and the Constitution if allowed to remain in office, and has acted in a manner grossly incompatible with self-governance and the rule of law,” the impeachment article read.
Thousands of National Guard troops surrounded and guarded the Capitol complex as the vote took place.
After the vote, Trump released a video statement calling for calm as the threat of new riots cast a pall over Washington. He did not mention the impeachment.
The timing of Trump’s Senate impeachment trial is still unsettled, with some Republicans urging Democrats to abandon the effort.