{"slug":"january-6-insurrection","title":"January 6 Capitol Insurrection: Incitement of an Attack on Democratic Transition of Power","date":"2021-01-06","lastUpdated":"2021-01-06","description":"On January 6, 2021, President Trump addressed a crowd of supporters and directed them to march to the Capitol, where they violently breached the building, attacked police officers, and sought to halt congressional certification of the 2020 presidential election. Trump refused to call off the mob for hours despite pleas from members of Congress, his own staff, and family members.","summary":"Following months of false claims that the 2020 election was stolen, Trump held a rally on January 6 and incited his supporters to march to the Capitol. A mob of thousands stormed and occupied the building for hours, injuring 140 police officers, causing multiple deaths, and forcing the evacuation of Congress. Trump watched on television and, despite multiple requests, refused to call off the mob for over three hours.","category":"rule-of-law","severity":"extreme","ongoing":false,"sources":[{"url":"https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/13/us/politics/jan-6-committee-hearing-trump.html","title":"Jan. 6 Committee Presents Evidence That Trump Knew Crowd Was Armed","publisher":"The New York Times"},{"url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GPO-J6-REPORT/pdf/GPO-J6-REPORT.pdf","title":"Final Report of the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol","publisher":"U.S. House of Representatives"},{"url":"https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/capitol-breach-cases","title":"Capitol Breach Cases — Prosecuted Defendants","publisher":"Department of Justice"},{"url":"https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-indicted-jan-6-attack-us-capitol-bca8bc55f4d24154bcb70de0d56a20fb","title":"Trump is indicted on four criminal charges related to the January 6 Capitol attack","publisher":"The Associated Press"},{"url":"https://www.congress.gov/117/crpt/hrpt663/CRPT-117hrpt663.pdf","title":"Select Committee Staff Report on January 6","publisher":"U.S. Congress"},{"url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/23pdf/23-939_e2p3.pdf","title":"Trump v. United States — Presidential Immunity Decision","publisher":"U.S. Supreme Court"}],"draft":false,"status":"published","tags":["January-6","insurrection","Capitol-attack","election-fraud","rule-of-law","first-term","impeachment","incitement"],"relatedEntries":[],"timeline":[{"date":"2020-11-07","title":"Trump refuses to concede election","summary":"Biden is called as the winner of the presidential election. Trump refuses to concede and begins 'Stop the Steal' campaign, falsely claiming the election was stolen through massive fraud."},{"date":"2020-11-14","title":"60+ court cases fail","summary":"By November 2020 through January 2021, the Trump campaign and allies file over 60 legal challenges to the election results in multiple states. All are dismissed; courts — including judges appointed by Trump — find no credible evidence of fraud."},{"date":"2021-01-06","title":"Ellipse rally — Trump's speech","summary":"Trump speaks at a rally near the White House, repeating false claims of election fraud and urging the crowd to march to the Capitol: 'If you don't fight like hell, you're not going to have a country anymore.' Rudy Giuliani calls for 'trial by combat.'"},{"date":"2021-01-06","title":"Capitol breached — 2:13 PM","summary":"Rioters breach the Capitol building, overwhelming outnumbered police. Members of Congress are evacuated or shelter in place. The Senate and House chambers are occupied. Rioters search for Vice President Pence, chanting 'Hang Mike Pence.'"},{"date":"2021-01-06","title":"Trump watches attack for over three hours","summary":"According to testimony before the House Select Committee, Trump watches the attack on TV at the White House, makes calls to senators pressuring them to object to certification, and resists pleas from aides, family, and legislators to intervene. At 4:17 PM, he posts a video telling rioters to go home but praising them as 'very special people.'"},{"date":"2021-01-13","title":"Trump impeached for incitement of insurrection","summary":"The House of Representatives impeaches Trump a second time, 232-197, for 'incitement of insurrection.' It is the most bipartisan impeachment in U.S. history; 10 Republicans vote to impeach."},{"date":"2021-02-13","title":"Senate acquits Trump — 57-43 guilty","summary":"The Senate votes 57-43 that Trump is guilty — with 7 Republicans joining all Democrats — but falls short of the two-thirds required to convict. After the vote, Senate Minority Leader McConnell states he believes Trump is 'practically and morally responsible' for the attack."},{"date":"2023-08-01","title":"Trump indicted on four federal charges","summary":"Special Counsel Jack Smith indicts Trump on four charges: conspiracy to defraud the United States, obstruction of an official proceeding, conspiracy to obstruct, and conspiracy against rights. The case is delayed by Trump's immunity claims, which the Supreme Court adjudicates in 2024."}],"location":{"name":"U.S. Capitol, Washington, DC","lat":38.8899,"lng":-77.0091},"custom":{"era":"first-term","posture":"judicial-finding","warCrimeClassification":"potential","internationalLaw":[{"statute":"International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights","article":"Article 25","provision":"Right to vote and to have access to public service on general terms of equality — interference with electoral certification violates this right"},{"statute":"International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights","article":"Article 20","provision":"Prohibition on advocacy of hatred that constitutes incitement to violence"}],"iccRelevance":false,"civilianCasualties":7,"victims":"7 deaths connected to the attack; 140 police officers injured; hundreds of Congress members and staff endangered","perpetrators":"President Donald Trump (incitement); Rudy Giuliani; Roger Stone; members of the Oath Keepers, Proud Boys, and other militia groups","structuredVictims":[{"group":"Police officers injured defending the Capitol","status":"140 officers injured, including brain injuries, lost fingers, and one officer who died of stroke following the attack","count":140},{"group":"Members of Congress and staff","status":"Evacuated and sheltered while rioters occupied chambers"}],"structuredPerpetrators":[{"name":"Donald Trump","role":"President of the United States","institution":"White House"},{"name":"Rudy Giuliani","role":"Personal attorney to the President","institution":"Trump campaign"}],"updateLog":[{"date":"2023-08-01","summary":"Updated with federal indictment."},{"date":"2022-12-22","summary":"Updated with House Select Committee final report."},{"date":"2021-02-13","summary":"Updated with Senate impeachment acquittal."}]}}