Congress defies Donald Trump’s mob as Joe Biden’s election win confirmed

Joe Biden certified as president after a violent assault on the US Capitol by Donald Trump supporters that left four people dead.

A state of emergency, including a 6pm-6am curfew, will remain in force in Washington until Joe Biden’s inauguration on January 20. Picture: AFP

Joe Biden has been certified as US president in an early morning sitting of congress forced by a violent assault on the US Capitol by Donald Trump supporters that left four people dead and Washington DC in a state of emergency.

On a day that sparked condemnation from all sides of US politics, mobs of Trump supporters crashed the doors of the Capitol Building, bringing the beating heart of America’s democracy to an abrupt halt.

The protesters were incited to march upon the Capitol by the outgoing President who told tens of thousands of supporters that “we will never give up and never concede, we will stop the steal.’’

“If you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore,” he said. “Let the weak ones get out, this is a time for strength.”

Congress resumed its session to formally endorse the Electoral College vote to ratify Mr Biden’s victory, hours after the protesters were evicted, but a state of emergency, including a 6pm-6am curfew, will remain in force in Washington until Mr Biden’s inauguration on January 20.

Ashli Babbit, a military veteran who had travelled from California, died in hospital after being shot inside the Capitol. Three other protesters died of medical issues. Police reported 52 arrests including 26 on US Capitol grounds.

Mr Trump, in a statement released after the congressional vote ratifying Mr Biden, promised an orderly transition of power. “Even though I totally disagree with the outcome of the election, and the facts bear me out, nevertheless there will be an orderly transition on January 20th,’’ he said. “I have always said we would continue our fight to ensure that only legal votes were counted. While this represents the end of the greatest first term in presidential history, it’s only the beginning of our fight to Make America Great Again.’’

A police munition explodes while supporters of Donald Trump gather in front of the US Capitol Building in Washington on Thursday. Picture: Reuters

The invasion of congress came as it was revealed Vice-President Mike Pence had rejected Mr Trump’s call to use his position to unilaterally overturn the results in congress of Mr Biden’s election win. Mr Pence’s decision ended the President’s final option to override the will of American voters and serve a second term in office.

“Mike Pence, I hope you’re going to stand up for the good of our constitution and for the good of our country. And if you’re not, I’m going to be very disappointed in you,” Trump had told his supporters outside the White House.

But as he was speaking, Mr Pence released a letter to congress saying “It is my considered judgment that my oath to support and defend the constitution constrains me from claiming unilateral authority to determine which electoral votes should be counted and which should not.’’

Although Mr Pence said he shared concerns about the integrity of the election, he noted ‘‘no vice-president in American history has ever asserted such authority’’ to override the will of the people.

US Capitol police point their guns at a door that was vandalised in the House Chamber on Thursday. Picture: AFP

As congress began to debate the formal counting of electoral college votes, Trump supporters marched en mass to the Capitol Building. Once there they pressed against the doors and windows, even scaling its walls as they sought to break into the heavily fortified congress.

Inside, a joint session was debating a controversial challenge to Mr Biden’s election win initiated by a minority group of 13 Republican senators and more than 100 congress members.

Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had just delivered a forceful rebuff to the rebel group, saying if it succeeded in overthrowing Mr Biden’s win ‘‘our democracy would enter a death spiral’’.

Shortly afterwards, hundreds of protesters broke through the doors of the Capitol, flowing through the corridors and forcing security to lock down the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Capitol Police drew guns and pointed them at protesters as they broke glass to try to get into the chambers. Eventually security succeeded in evacuating the Vice-President as well as the senators and congressmen with protesters still inside the building. Ms Babbit was shot in the confusion, reportedly by police, and later died in hospital.

A congress staffer holds his hands up while Capitol Police Swat team check the room on Thursday. Picture: AFP

Mr Biden described the invasion as an ‘‘insurrection’’, saying it ‘‘borders on sedition’’.

“I am genuinely shocked and saddened that our nation — so long the beacon of light and hope for democracy — has come to such a dark moment,” he said.

“Let me be very clear: the scenes of chaos at the Capitol do not reflect a true America, do not represent who we are. What we’re seeing are a small number of ¬extremists dedicated to lawlessness. This is not dissent. It’s disorder. It’s chaos.” Mr Biden said that the words of a president mattered and at their worst they could incite.

Mr Trump eventually sent out two tweets urging protesters to be peaceful but he did not condemn them. Later he released a short video in which he described them as ‘‘very special’‘ and said he understood their hurt about the stolen election.

“This was a fraudulent election, but we can’t play into the hands of these people,” he said “We have to have peace. So go home. We love you; you’re very special.”

Protesters storm US Capitol

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Later he also tweeted: “These are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away from great patriots who have been badly & unfairly treated for so long … remember this day forever.’’

That tweet led Twitter to block Mr Trump’s Twitter account for 11 hours, warning it may suspend it permanently because of his ongoing false claims about the election.

When the debate in congress resumed, Mr Pence said ‘those who wreaked havoc in our Capitol today did not win’’.

Senator McConnell said the ‘‘unhinged crowd’’ had failed to prevent the Democratic process from continuing. “They tried to disrupt our democracy, they failed,’’ he said.

Former Republican president Georgie W. Bush, condemned the rioters and the politicians who ‘‘inflamed them’’. “This is how election results are disputed in a banana republic — not our democratic republic. I am appalled by the reckless behaviour of some political leaders since the election,” Mr Bush said, not referring to Mr Trump by name.

Republican senator Mitt Romney called the riots at the US Capitol “an insurrection incited by the President of the United States’’.