Trump supporters breach the Capitol. Photo courtesy PBS NewsHour.

Congress resumes electoral vote count after protesters storm U.S. Capitol

Jan. 6, 2021

A mob of violent pro-Trump protesters who oppose President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election overwhelmed security at the U.S. Capitol and broke into the building on Wednesday, halting proceedings where Congress was poised to count the votes cast by the Electoral College. One woman was shot and died. Hours after the insurrection, Congress reconvened to resume their debate. Watch coverage from the PBS NewsHour team via the livestream above.

Some Republicans in both chambers declared that they would object to the counting of some states where President Donald Trump lost his closest races to Biden. But before protesters entered the building, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell delivered a forceful to rebuke to the idea that Congress could or should attempt to overthrow the election.

Earlier, Trump spoke at a rally where he urged supporters to march to the Capitol to demand that the results be overthrown. After rioters forcefully entered the building, he tweeted a recorded message telling people to “go home now,” while repeating false claims about the election.

LIVE UPDATES: Pro-Trump mob breaches U.S. Capitol

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On Wednesday, the nation will tune in to a dramatic and historic, if mostly symbolic, joint session of Congress.

Usually there would be relatively little fanfare over the counting of Electoral College votes by Congress — a necessary step in the presidential election process. But as the electoral votes from each state reach their final destination at the U.S. Capitol, Republicans in both chambers have declared that they will object to the counting of some states where President Donald Trump lost his closest races to President-elect Joe Biden.

Watch PBS NewsHour special coverage of the joint session of Congress starting at 12:30 p.m. ET in the player above. For more information on the process and the debates in both the House and the Senate, see NewsHour correspondent Lisa Desjardins’ explanation here.