Internet rumors continued to swirl among supporters of President Donald Trump who were in disbelief about what happened in Washington, D.C., last week. On Jan. 6, mobs marched from a rally featuring Trump to the Capitol, where many pushed past Capitol Police and took over the seat of government for several hours. Five died in the mayhem, including a Capitol Police officer whom rioters hit in the head with a fire extinguisher. 

In his first tweet since Twitter suspended his account as his supporters rioted in the Capitol, President Donald Trump acknowledged his presidency would end in 13 days. In a recorded speech, he urged Americans to work together to reform elections, end the pandemic, and restore the economy. Earlier in the day, Democratic leaders in Congress called for Vice President Mike Pence and the Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment to end Trump’s term early.

Sarah Burnett, a 29-year-old mother of three from Shawnee, Okla., came to Washington this week to demonstrate for free and fair elections. Her political interests lay dormant during much of her 20s, but that changed when coronavirus lockdowns hurt the video production company she runs with her husband and kept her from attending the Baptist church she loves. She launched a Facebook page that urged Christians to engage in politics and protect their liberty.

After the U.S. Capitol faced a day of violent unrest, Congress early on Thursday confirmed Joe Biden as the next president of the United States. The Senate and House had reconvened after 8 p.m. on Wednesday once police secured the building with the help of the National Guard. “Criminal behavior will never dominate the United States Congress,” Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told the Senate. “This institution is resilient.” The legislators worked into the early morning hours to certify that Biden secured 306 electoral votes to President Donald Trump’s 232 votes.

Four people died as rioters invaded the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, Washington police Chief Robert Contee said. One woman was shot by Capitol Police, and three others had medical emergencies amid the chaos. Media reports identified the slain woman as Ashli Babbitt, a supporter of President Donald Trump and an Air Force veteran from Southern California.

Video footage and images of rioters breaking into the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday drew condemnation and shock from other nations. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called the scene disgraceful and urged a peaceful transfer of power.

Following a day that saw an unprecedented incursion into the U.S. Capitol, members of Congress worked late into the night to count and certify the results of the U.S. presidential election. The Senate and House reconvened after 8 p.m. once police had secured the building with the help of the National Guard. “Criminal behavior will never dominate the United States Congress,” Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told the Senate. “This institution is resilient.”