Pro-Trump extremists stormed Capitol Hill on Wednesday, halting the Electoral College certification and sending the U.S. Capitol into lockdown.
Chaos erupted. A woman was shot and killed. Violent mobs smashed windows and occupied the Capitol building. Police had their guns drawn inside the Capitol as they attempted to control the situation.
The assault comes after two months of Trump and other Republican leaders baselessly saying the election was stolen from him.
Even while calling for peace in a video on Twitter, Trump repeated his claim that the election was fraudulent. "We love you. You're very special," he said, as he told his supporters in D.C. to go home.
Lawmakers will resume accepting the Electoral College ballots for President-elect Joe Biden on Wednesday after authorities clear the Capitol building.
See scenes from the assault below.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
![Left: Protesters gather on the door of the U.S. Capitol Building. Right: A protester wears a gas mask after storming the U.S. Capitol.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/eb1904b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3000x990+0+0/resize/880x290!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.npr.org%2Fassets%2Fimg%2F2021%2F01%2F06%2Fcapitol-protest-composite-2_custom-197be0731a073d4b84941b96197831723b0330d0.jpg)
![Extremists breeched security and entered the Capitol as Congress debated the 2020 presidential election Electoral Vote Certification.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/d525b9a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2997x1996+0+0/resize/880x586!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.npr.org%2Fassets%2Fimg%2F2021%2F01%2F06%2Fgettyimages-1230455670_slide-18f6430502e6522e88e95cc7614c96752b8c3e32.jpg)
![Left: U.S. Capitol Police draw their guns as protesters attempt to enter the House Chamber. Right: Members of congress run for cover as protesters try to enter the House Chamber during a joint session of Congress.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/2b25e32/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3000x1058+0+0/resize/880x310!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.npr.org%2Fassets%2Fimg%2F2021%2F01%2F06%2Fcapitol-protest-composite-1_custom-04ed1a2496ecc6ef02e4a25a39bb7bab20ace7b9.jpg)
![A protester is seen hanging from the balcony in the Senate Chamber.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/e97a9b9/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2997x1998+0+0/resize/880x587!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.npr.org%2Fassets%2Fimg%2F2021%2F01%2F06%2Fgettyimages-1294931398_slide-f9f5078a509da35022f6eae7410b37d9067f316d.jpg)
![Protesters in the U.S. Capitol Building.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/bec0616/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3000x1999+0+0/resize/880x586!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.npr.org%2Fassets%2Fimg%2F2021%2F01%2F06%2Fgettyimages-1294933353_slide-bd8bc0a6dc3263c3ec432922c2c722dd6b510e00.jpg)
![Rioters climb the west wall of the the U.S. Capitol.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/f84fe35/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5731x3847+0+0/resize/880x591!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.npr.org%2Fassets%2Fimg%2F2021%2F01%2F06%2Fap21006789526874_custom-aa89bf4a06fb0d45a24affbf2119e0837dbc0cb5.jpg)
![Trump supporters clash with police and security forces as they invade the Inauguration platform.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/f2898b6/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2997x1996+0+0/resize/880x586!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.npr.org%2Fassets%2Fimg%2F2021%2F01%2F06%2Fgettyimages-1230455611_slide-fcddab3bf38e4ced3f4d3fc25b1bf1762b249621.jpg)
![Left: A person on a stretcher is placed in an ambulance outside the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. Right: Authorities remove protesters from the U.S. Capitol.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/f156c88/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3000x1000+0+0/resize/880x293!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.npr.org%2Fassets%2Fimg%2F2021%2F01%2F06%2Fcapitol-protest-composite-3_custom-8f0145e86f9cbbc586b76e42011001e24e8faf49.jpg)
![A flag hangs between broken windows outside the U.S. Capitol](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/9955de8/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2997x1998+0+0/resize/880x587!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.npr.org%2Fassets%2Fimg%2F2021%2F01%2F06%2Fap_21006775376628_slide-fca4a0f4ec2fc6168d7ab29af97dafd8f1d15f44.jpg)