In the early morning hours of Thursday (Jan. 7), the U.S. Congress certified the Electoral College vote victory of Democratic candidate Joe Biden, with Biden and Trump (Trump) receiving 306 to 232 votes.
President Trump later issued a statement saying that while he disagreed completely with the election results, he promised a peaceful transition on Jan. 20, but said he would continue to fight and that “for ‘America Great Again,’ this is just the beginning of our fight!”
The Senate and House rejected Republican challenges to Georgia and Pennsylvania, while Republican electoral votes for Arizona, Nevada and Michigan were rejected.
On Wednesday night, in addition to some protesters storming the Capitol in Washington, D.C., at least 17 states across the country such as Georgia, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arizona, California and Washington had Trump supporters all protesting at their state capitols, and the protests everywhere were overwhelmingly very peaceful.
During Wednesday’s joint session, crowds of protesters outside Congress entered the Capitol, disrupting the certification process, evacuating lawmakers and putting the Capitol on lockdown. President Trump (Trump) instructed the Virginia National Guard to rush to the capital, Washington, D.C. The Maryland National Guard also rushed to D.C. Trump later released a video calling on protesters to go home.
D.C. police say the chaos left four people dead and at least 52 people arrested.
Here is a live update (EST).
08:02
Mick Mulvaney, President Trump’s former chief of staff and special envoy to Northern Ireland, has resigned.
He said in an interview with CNBC this morning that he called Secretary of State Mike Pompeo last night to resign.
07:31
The woman who was shot and killed inside the Capitol on Wednesday has been identified. Ms. Babbitt (Ashli Babbitt) had served four tours in the Air Force, lived in San Diego, and was a supporter of President Trump.
06:12
The Republican senators challenging the Electoral College votes in this congressional certification are.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), challenging Pennsylvania and Arizona.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R) of Missouri, challenging Pennsylvania and Arizona
Senator Roger Marshall (R) of Kansas, challenging Pennsylvania and Arizona.
Senator Tommy Tuberville (R) of Alabama, challenging Pennsylvania and Arizona.
Mississippi Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (D), challenging Pennsylvania and Arizona.
Senator John Kennedy (R) of Louisiana, challenging Arizona.
Senator Rick Scott (R) of Florida, challenging Pennsylvania.
Wyoming Senator Cynthia Lummis (R), challenging Pennsylvania.
05:21
Biden nominated Merrick Garland (D) for attorney general and will introduce him to the American public at an event in Wilmington, Delaware, later Thursday.
President Trump did not announce any events on his public calendar today.
04:06
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino tweeted a statement from President Trump on election certification that said, “Despite my complete disagreement with the election results and the fact that the facts will bear me out, the transition on January 20 will be in order. I have always said I will continue to fight to ensure that only legitimate votes are counted. This represents the end of the greatest first term in (U.S.) presidential history, but for ‘America Great Again,’ it is only the beginning of our struggle!”
03:33
In the early hours of Thursday morning, the U.S. Congress certified Joe Biden’s Electoral College popular vote victory.
03:18
The House voted 282-138 to reject Republican objections to the Pennsylvania electoral vote, and the Senate voted 92-7 against.
The House and Senate will now reconvene in joint session to continue counting the remaining Electoral College votes. Pennsylvania was the last state to be debated in Congress.
01:24
The Senate failed to pass the controversy against certifying Pennsylvania’s Electoral College votes by a vote of 92 to 7.
Here are the seven Republican senators who voted against the Electoral College vote results.
Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas)
Senator Josh Hawley (R) of Missouri
Wyoming Senator Cynthia Lummis (R)
Senator Roger Marshall (R) of Kansas
Senator Rick Scott (R-FL)
Senator Tommy Tuberville (R) of Alabama
Mississippi Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R)
00:34
Republicans oppose the results of the Pennsylvania election, which are now being considered separately by the House and Senate.
Republican Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA) said on the floor early Thursday, “I have a written objection signed by a senator and 80 members of the House of Representatives.”
Republican Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Texas) also joined the opposition.
Vice President Mike Pence has accepted their objection to the Pennsylvania election results.
Since the objection has been signed by a House member and a Senator, the Senate will now reconvene and both it and the House will debate the objection. Both chambers will then vote on whether to sustain the objection.
00:18
Republicans’ opposition to the Nevada election results was rejected due to the fact that no senators joined them in challenging the action.
Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ariz.) objected to Nevada’s electoral votes, saying they did so “to protect the legitimate votes of Nevada and all other American citizens.
He noted, however, that “unfortunately” no senators joined in and their challenge was unsuccessful.
00:00
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (D-MI) filed a written objection to the Michigan results, but the objection failed because no senators signed the endorsement.
23:50
Rep. Jody Hice (R-Ga.) announced a challenge to Georgia’s electoral votes, but the opposition failed because none of the senators came out to challenge it.
Hice said it appears that some senators withdrew their opposition down the road today.
23:14
The House challenge to Arizona’s electoral results failed, though 121 Republican House members voted against it.
22:00
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-UT), speaking on the House floor, said, “Some of the people who invaded the Capitol today were not Trump supporters, they were disguised as Trump supporters, when in fact (they) were members of the violent terrorist group Antifa.”
22:12
The Senate challenge to Arizona failed by a vote of 93 to 6. The six senators who voted against it were Josh Hawley, Ted Cruz, John Kennedy, Cindy Hyde-Smith, Roger Marshall and Tommy Tuberville.
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said the House will probably finish debating and voting on Arizona’s electoral votes around 23:30-24.
21:50
The House is prepared to vote on Arizona’s electoral votes in the full House between 22:00-22:30 p.m.
The Senate closes debate on Arizona at 22:00 and begins voting.
As of 21:30, the Washington DC Police Department has made approximately 30 arrests for curfew violations. The curfew begins at 18:00.
21:30
Senator Josh Hawley (D-CA) is still insisting on challenging the Pennsylvania election results on the Senate floor. This is one of several key states.
He began by addressing the protesters’ break-in at the Capitol on Wednesday afternoon, saying that violence will not achieve the goal; he then described the importance of joint congressional hearings.
“What we’re doing tonight is actually very important because for those who are concerned about the integrity of the election, those who are concerned about what happened in November, this is the proper venue …… (Congress) here is a legitimate venue and those objections and concerns should be heard. ” Hawley said. “We do need to have an investigation into (election) irregularities, fraud. We do need a common path forward. We need to have election security reform.”
Hawley described multiple violations of the law that occurred in Pennsylvania throughout the election process and said the Pennsylvania high court refused to hear the lawsuits and resolve the challenges.
Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-PA), speaking on the House floor, said, “This has been an absolutely terrible day. I have always condemned and will continue to condemn political violence …… However, I will not be intimidated by mobs from the left or the right.
I am against voter certification in certain contested states. I will continue to work to ensure that our elections are free and secure and that every legitimate vote is counted and every fraudulent vote is rejected. I want to thank law enforcement for their extraordinary bravery and dedication today.”
US media: Antifa stormed Congress disguised as protesters
Trump supporters say there were Antifa members disguised as protesters who blended into the crowd and stormed the U.S. Capitol. A retired military officer told The Washington Times that XRVision used its software to perform facial recognition on the protesters, matching two Philadelphia Antifa members with two men inside the Senate. The source provided the Washington Times with the photo matches.
One of the men had tattoos that suggested he was a Stalinist sympathizer. Antifa promotes anarchy through violence and wants the United States to be a pro-Stalinist state.
XRVision also identified another man who, although his connection to Antifa is not widely known, has appeared at Black Lives Matter protests.
21:10
CNN, Bloomberg and other media outlets reported that several of President Trump’s top aides, including National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien, Deputy National Security Adviser Matt Pottinger and Deputy Chief of Staff Chris Liddell, are considering resigning.
Earlier, White House first lady spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham, social media spokeswoman Anna Cristina Niceta have submitted their resignations.
20:45
The three Republican senators who previously announced challenges to the electoral vote, James Lankford (R-OK), Steve Daines (D-MT) and Kelly Loeffler (R-NY), said in the chamber that they no longer oppose voter certification because of what happened today.
The House is expected to return to the House floor at 21:00 to continue debate on the issue of opposition to the Arizona election vote.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) issued a statement saying he agreed to send 1,000 National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., at the request of the U.S. National Guard. He said the deployment is to assist with the transfer of power and is expected to last two weeks.
20:37
McConnell said, “We will not succumb to lawlessness or intimidation. We will return to our posts and we will fulfill our obligations under the Constitution and our country. And we will do that tonight.”
McConnell says Congress will continue the certification process despite the damage.
20:25
Wednesday night, Vice President Pence reconvened the joint session.
Pence said, “We defended the Capitol today. We will be forever grateful to the men and women who stayed at their posts to defend this historic site.”
“Those of you who wreaked havoc at the Capitol today, you did not win. Violence never wins. Freedom will win. This is still the home of the people.” He said.
20:08
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) returns to his office, and both he and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) say they will speak at the start of the Senate session.
19:55
A large group of senators leave the secure location in the Capitol and return to the chamber. Sen. John Hoeven (R-Ohio) told CNN they are “expediting the process.
Senator Josh Hawley did not respond when asked if he still opposed Pennsylvania’s electoral votes, and Senator Roger Marshall did not respond to a question about whether he would challenge Georgia and Pennsylvania’s electoral votes.
19:41
Vice President Mike Pence (R-Iowa) has returned to the Senate floor just before 8 p.m. Wednesday
“Vice President Mike Pence) has returned to the Senate. He never left the Capitol. The vice president is in regular contact with House and Senate leadership, Capitol Police, the Department of Justice and the Department of Defense in an effort to secure the Capitol (security) and reconvene a joint session of Congress. Now we will finish the business that the people (entrusted to us).” Pence’s press secretary said.
A source familiar with the matter said the U.S. Secret Service wanted Pence to leave the Capitol and that everything was ready to go, but Pence wanted to stay on site.
Another source said that once the joint session of Congress resumes tonight, “he (Pence) will perform his duties.”
19:34
Twitter said Wednesday it has locked President Trump’s account for 12 hours and warned for the first time that it could permanently suspend the account.
“We asked to remove three of (Trump’s) @realDonaldTrump tweets because they repeatedly and seriously violate our Civic Integrity Policy,” Twitter said.
“This means that after deleting these tweets, @realDonaldTrump’s account will be locked for 12 hours. If the tweets are not deleted, the account will remain locked.” Twitter said.
Twitter added: “Future violations of …… will result in permanent deactivation of the @realDonaldTrump account.”
19:09
“Sources on The Hill have revealed that the House and Senate rooms are being cleared so the entire Senate and House can resume proceedings after 8 p.m.
It is unclear whether the House and Senate intend to meet overnight or how long the certification process will last.
18:56
Twitter deleted several Trump tweets on Wednesday night, including a video tweet calling for supporters to return home and a renewed call for them to do so peacefully. A tweet in which Trump said Vice President Mike Pence lacked the “courage” to do what was necessary was also deleted.
18:42
In a letter to colleagues, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that congressional leaders have decided to certify Biden’s victory tonight once Congress is cleared to resume joint sessions.
“After consultation with (Democratic Congressional Leader) Hoyer and (Democratic) Whip Clyburn, and after calls to the Pentagon, the Justice Department and the Vice President, we have decided that (certification) should continue tonight after the Capitol is cleared for use. Leader Hoyer will issue more guidance later today.” She said.
18:31
Crowds decrease around the U.S. Capitol after curfew is enacted.
Crowds around the U.S. Capitol began to evacuate after a curfew was enforced at 6 p.m. EST Wednesday.
As of 6:25 p.m., a large group of people left the Capitol.
18:28
Three diplomatic sources told CNN that U.S. diplomats overseas were told that all social media posts would be suspended in light of the clashes on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., a measure normally taken only during terrorist attacks and major natural disasters.
The Under Secretary for Public Affairs sent a message to U.S. diplomats overseas ordering them to suspend posts to their social media accounts and to remove all planned content on Facebook, Hootsuite and Twitter until further notice.
The message also said that posts on the State Department’s flagship social media accounts that were scheduled to be posted are also being frozen.
18:27
District of Columbia police confirm that the woman shot inside the Capitol has died
“Yes, the adult female who was shot inside the Capitol was pronounced dead at an area hospital.” Metropolitan Police Department spokesman Dustin Sternbeck said.
Sternbeck said, “There will be more details as this is still an ongoing MPD investigation.”
18:16
President Trump tweeted again that these are the kinds of things and events that happen when sacred, landslide election victories are unceremoniously and viciously stripped from the hands of great patriots who have been treated grossly and unjustly for too long.
“Come home in love and peace. Remember this day forever!” He wrote.
The tweet was quickly deleted by Twitter.
18:10
Acting Attorney General Jeffrey A. Rosen issued a statement Wednesday night calling the violence at the U.S. Capitol “an intolerable attack on the basic institutions of our democracy.”
18:05
Congressional leaders push to complete election certification tonight, sources say.
Multiple sources close to the situation tell CNN that congressional leaders are pushing to complete the certification process tonight.
And two Senate sources familiar with the conversation told CNN that while senators wait to return to the Senate floor and resume the certification process, some senators are using the time to try to convince Republican senators who plan to oppose the results of electoral votes in states like Georgia and Pennsylvania to back off after they finish debating the Arizona results.
It is unclear whether these efforts will be successful. For example, it would require Republican Senator Josh Hawley to back off in a very public way.
18:03
A man is in critical condition after climbing on scaffolding at the U.S. Capitol and falling
He was taken to a hospital for treatment in critical condition, people familiar with the situation said.
Crowds storm Congress on Jan. 6 as police block them. (OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP via Getty Images)
18:02
NBC correspondent Pete Williams quotes several law enforcement officials as saying the woman who was shot died.
18:01
Virginia governor declares state of emergency in response to clashes at U.S. Capitol
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam says he will issue a state of emergency and set it to begin at 6 p.m. EST. A curfew is in effect in the Arlington and Alexandria areas near Washington.
18:00
A Politico reporter tweeted at 17:55 p.m. that senators are meeting behind closed doors.
17:55
A reporter says Capitol security officials announced that the U.S. Capitol is now secure.
17:50
Lawmakers say they are committed to finishing the joint session tonight.
Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin told CNN as he left a secure location with other senators that there is a belief that Congress will finish certifying the Electoral College vote results tonight.
Manchin said the riots that occurred will not “drive us away.
He said he thinks the joint session will also be held at the Capitol, but is not sure.
Republican Sen. Josh Hawley tweeted this afternoon that Congress “must get back to work and get the job done.
17:46
Lawmakers say staffers were able to remove electoral votes before the crowd stormed the Senate floor. Sen. Jeff Merkley (R-Ariz.) tweeted photos of Electoral College ballots on the Senate floor. Merkley said Senate staffers “rescued” the ballots before people entered the Senate floor.
17:37
Police keep the crowd back on the west side of the Capitol.
17:35
DC Metropolitan Police Chief Robert Contee says at least 13 people have been arrested, all from out of town.
Several officers are being treated for injuries and authorities confiscated several weapons, Contee said.
17:20
Hejinli took to Twitter to call for an end to the violence taking place at the Capitol. She said she joined Biden in calling for an end to the attacks on the Capitol and on state employees. “Let democracy work and move on.” She said.
17:17
House and Senate Democratic leaders and Joe Biden called on President Trump to ask all protesters to leave the U.S. Capitol amid reports of break-ins and shootings on Wednesday.
In a televised address around 4 p.m., Biden said Trump should go on television “right now” to address the protesters and tell them to go home.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said she and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) wrote that they “call on President Trump to demand that all protesters leave the U.S. Capitol and the Capitol grounds immediately.
17:15
The large protests near the U.S. Capitol coincided with protests at state capitols in a number of states, including Salem, Oregon; Atlanta, Georgia; and Denver, Colorado.
16:54
Before the riots broke out, the U.S. Congress certified the Electoral College votes submitted by only two states: nine Electoral College votes in Alabama and three votes in Alaska. All 12 of these votes went to President Trump. In total, there were 538 electoral votes.
16:44
Republican Senator Hawley issued a statement saying the violence must stop, those who attack police and break the law must be prosecuted, and Congress must get back to work and get the job done.
16:34
Republican National Committee (RNC) committee communications director Michael Ahrens told CNN that the RNC’s headquarters was cleared Wednesday after a suspicious device was found nearby.
The RNC headquarters is just a few blocks from the U.S. Capitol. The evacuation happened about an hour ago, Ahrens said.
An RNC official told CNN that a pipe bomb was found on the ground outside the headquarters, along the outside of the headquarters wall. The device was safely detonated by police, the RNC official said.
The Democratic National Committee was also evacuated Wednesday because a suspicious package was being investigated nearby, a Democratic source with knowledge of the situation told CNN.
16:24
President Trump tweeted a video calling for the protesters to go home safely, saying he knows the protesters have wounds in their hearts, but he doesn’t want anyone else to get hurt because of it.
He said it was a rigged election and that someone stole it from him, from the protesters and from America, but he still wants the protesters to go home, wants them to go home safely.
“Go home, we love you, you are special. We know how you feel!”
Twitter deleted the tweet on Wednesday evening.
16:22
House and Senate Democratic leaders and Joe Biden called on President Trump to ask all protesters to leave the U.S. Capitol amid reports of break-ins and shootings on Wednesday.
In a televised address around 4 p.m., Biden said Trump should go on television “right now” to address the protesters and tell them to go home.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said she and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) wrote that they “call on President Trump to demand that all protesters leave the U.S. Capitol and the Capitol grounds immediately.
16:20
At least one officer was hit with pepper spray and taken to an area hospital, according to Douglas Buchanan, communications director for the Washington, D.C., Fire and Emergency Medical Services.
Buchanan also said others were treated and taken to hospitals that day, ranging from cardiac arrest to someone who suffered multiple fractures after falling from scaffolding on the west end of the U.S. Capitol.
16:15
Biden speaks at the Queens Theatre in Delaware, says it’s important to keep democracy working …… President’s words matter …… So I call on President Trump to speak on national television now …… and call for an end to the siege.
16:12
Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s congressional office was broken into.
16:02
The Defense Department has activated the entire Washington, D.C. National Guard after the U.S. Capitol was breached.
Jonathan Hoffman, chief Pentagon spokesman, said, “The D.C. Guard has been mobilized to provide support to federal law enforcement in D.C. Acting (Defense) Secretary Miller has been in contact with congressional leadership, and White House spokesman McKennaney (McCarthy) has been working with the D.C. government. The law enforcement response will be led by the Department of Justice.”
15:57
Rep. Jason Crow (R-Texas) just updated his tweet to say that he and several members of Congress have been trapped in the House chamber for a short while after someone tried to bang down the doors.
“We don’t know how we can get out, but Capitol police may be able to clear a route to get us out. We’re all protected in a safe place right now.”
15:56
Congressional Democratic leaders, including Senate Minority Leader Schumer and House Majority Leader Pelosi, issued a joint statement, “We call on President Trump to demand that all protesters leave the U.S. Capitol and Capitol Mall immediately.”
15:55
Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf is currently on a week-long diplomatic trip to the Middle East. He condemned what is happening at the Capitol, tweeting, “Violence of any kind is unacceptable.”
“No one has the right to attack any federal institution, regardless of motive. Violent opportunists on the U.S. Capitol grounds must be held accountable. We have a proud history of resolving differences through peaceful means.” He said.
15:51
Multiple sources tell CNN that multiple officers were injured and at least one was taken to the hospital.
MSNBC says five other people, including a law enforcement officer, have been taken to the hospital in addition to the person who was shot inside the Capitol in critical condition.
15:46
Republican House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said he spoke with President Trump about the mob that laid siege to the U.S. Capitol.
“I called him. I think we need to make a statement. Make sure we can calm everybody down. Right now, I don’t know who these people are. I haven’t received any reports.” He said.
15:45
Biden will speak in the afternoon in the face of unrest and crisis in Washington. Biden will speak at the Queen’s Theatre in his hometown of downtown Wilmington, Delaware.
A Biden aide told CNN that Biden has been watching developments in Washington, D.C., and wants to address the escalating violent protests.
He was going to say “it’s time to turn the page,” but is still considering exactly what to say.
15:44
John R Lott Jr., outside counsel for the Justice Department, tweeted: “Clearly, President Trump has said that people [involved in the violence] are responsible. We must find out what’s behind it and hold them accountable.”
15:43
A window is broken at the U.S. Capitol. Video taken at the U.S. Capitol shows a number of people breaking window panes and then climbing through the broken glass windows.
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