Donald Trump recently granted clemency to over 1,500 individuals charged in connection with the January 6 riots after returning to the White House on Monday. This decision included pardons for violent offenders who assaulted police.
The events of January 6, 2021, are seen as one of the darkest days in American democracy. It is that infamous day in American history when a mob of rioters stormed the United States Capitol in an attempt to halt the certification of President Joe Biden’s electoral victory.
Here is a detailed timeline of the day’s pivotal moments:
Early morning
08:17 am: President Donald Trump tweets allegations of voter fraud ahead of his planned rally in Washington, DC. This sets the tone for a day fraught with tension and conflict.
10:58 am: Members of the Proud Boys, a far-right militia group, are seen moving toward the Capitol.
In an interview with BBC’s Newsnight correspondent, one member declares, “We’re taking our country back.” The group appears organized, with one member using a radio to communicate.
The rally begins
12:00 pm: President Trump begins his speech at the rally near the White House.
About 15 minutes into his speech, he urges supporters to march to the Capitol, saying, “I know that everyone here will soon be marching over to the Capitol building to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard.”
12:53 pm: As the rally continues, a crowd gathers outside the Capitol. Tensions escalate as they breach the initial police barriers. Some carry flags and makeshift weapons, while chants of “Fight for Trump” fill the air.
The mob breaches the Capitol
1:10 pm: Trump ends his speech with the incendiary statement, “We fight. We fight like hell, and if you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore.”
Capitol police begin calling for reinforcements as the situation deteriorates. Officers report projectiles being thrown at them, and multiple injuries are sustained. An evacuation alert is issued.
1:45 pm: Rioters push past police on the Capitol’s west steps. Capitol police officially declare a riot. Vice President Mike Pence is still presiding over the certification process.
2:13 pm: Secret Service agents rush Pence off the Senate floor to a secure location. Rioters break windows and force their way into the Capitol building, getting within 100 feet of Pence at one point. Officer Eugene Goodman bravely diverts the mob away from the Senate chamber.
2:24 pm: President Trump tweets that Pence “didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done.” Rioters inside the Capitol chant threats against Pence and Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Pelosi’s staff barricade themselves in a conference room as rioters attempt to breach her office.
2:41 pm: Rioter Ashli Babbitt is fatally shot by Capitol police while attempting to climb through a barricaded doorway. As reported by BBC, several lawmakers, fearing for their lives, remove congressional pins to avoid being identified.
Chaos reigns
3:13 pm: President Trump tweets a vague call for peace but does not explicitly condemn the violence. Meanwhile, rioters roam freely inside the Capitol, rifling through documents and vandalizing offices.
4:17 pm: After hours of inaction, Trump releases a video asking rioters to “go home,” calling them “special people” and repeating baseless claims of a stolen election.
The aftermath
6:00 pm: Police regain control of the Capitol. According to media reports, the chaos leaves more than 100 police officers injured, and four individuals in the crowd die due to medical emergencies.
In the following days, at least four police officers who responded to the attack die by suicide.
