Following Donald Trump’s speech on January 6th, the United States Capitol faced an insurrection led by “Trump-supporting extremists.”

Close to noon, Trump delivered a speech to a group of his supporters, in which he continued to push the idea of the 2020 election being “rigged” and “stolen” from him. He also urged the crowd to not give up and continue to “fight” the results of the election. Trump has pushed the topics of voter fraud and a “stolen” election since November, despite the fact that his administration filed over 50 lawsuits, and lost almost all of them.

After the speech, members of the crowd made their way towards the Capitol Building, rioting, and becoming violent along the way. These same rioters stormed the Capitol Building, overtaking Capitol police and breaking windows as a way to enter. Their goal was to stop Congress from solidifying the results of the Electoral College, continuing Trump’s false narrative of a fraudulent election.

As the rioters entered the building, the chambers of the House of Representatives and the Senate were evacuated, with the members of both being taken into safety. The Senate Chamber was soon overtaken by the rioters, and they continued their terror as they entered the offices of various members of Congress, including Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi. Their offices were looted and vandalized. Many of the rioters were armed with guns, and it was later confirmed that two pipe bombs were found near the Capitol Building. Thankfully, these bombs were discovered on time and disassembled by the Capitol Police and FBI.

Various people, including the mayor of Washington DC and the chief of the Capitol Police, requested federal assistance from the National Guard in securing the Capitol but were not given aid until over three hours later. Trump resisted and refused to deploy the National Guard for as long as possible, instead spending his time making Twitter videos that continued to push the false idea of a “rigged” election. In the early evening, the National Guard was finally deployed, and, by eight, the Capitol was secured. This insurrection resulted in the deaths of five people, one being a Capitol police officer.

Prior to this attack on the Capitol, many Republican figures, including Indiana Senator Mike Braun and Representative Jackie Walorski, had expressed their plans to object to Biden’s victory in the presidential election. Mike Braun declined the objection following the insurrection, joining fellow Indiana Senator Todd Young in his decision. Jackie Walorski, Greg Pence, Jim Banks, and Jim Baird, all Republican Representatives from Indiana, continued with their objections, even following the events of January 6th.

The events in DC have led the FBI to warn states of the possibility of armed riots taking place across the country at state Capitol Buildings, allowing states to take precautions for the future. At this point in time, over 60 people have been arrested for their connections to the attack on the Capitol, and this number continues to rise each day as the FBI receives new evidence and tips from the public.

One thing is certain when discussing the violent insurrection that took place last week: the motive of these rioters makes it very clear this was not only an attack on the US Capitol Building, but an attack on all of American democracy.