January 6 U.S. Capitol riot

Rioters outside the U.S. Capitol building during the afternoon rampage which injured 100 Capitol police and severely damaged the building itself.

The January 6 U.S. Capitol riot occurred in 2021 when President Donald Trump's supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol building in an attempt to prevent the U.S. Congress from certifying the electoral votes from the Nov. 2020 presidential election (in which Joe Biden was elected as the next president). Because it was an attempt to prevent a legitimate president-elect from taking office, the attack was widely regarded as an insurrection or attempted coup d’état incited by outgoing president Donald Trump.

Beginning in early afternoon, an armed mob assaulted the Capitol police force and would injure more than 100 of its members before the day was over. Rioters broke past police lines; more than 2000 of the attackers broke into the U.S. Capitol building and tried to reach senators and congress persons, either to harm them or hold them as hostages. The building's furnishings, doorways, and artwork were severely damaged. A protester was shot by police at the door into one of the houses of congress and died in the chaos. A Capitol policeman died soon after the attack, possibly from a blow to the head. Another committed suicide within weeks of the attack.

All the congressional members and staff escaped intact, but only narrowly. After capitol police, assisted by the National Guard and other forces, regained control of the building, Congress held a defiant, bi-partisan session that same night to complete the certification of the votes.

President Donald Trump has been criticized widely for having incited the riot and attempted to interfere illegally in the peaceful transfer of power between presidents, and for having allowed it to continue for several hours until he finally saw that it had failed in its intended purpose, only then issuing a weak message via Twitter urging rioters to go home and saying "I love you" to them.