The extraordinary attack by Trump protesters on the symbolic epicenter of the US democracy, the Capitol, in Washington D.C., as Congress certified Democrat Joe Biden’s presidential win, was splashed all over the front pages of national and global media outlets on Thursday.
Scenes of violence that resulted in at least four people being killed rapidly escalated after Donald Trump’s supporters, opposing the results of the 2020 presidential race, breached the Capitol building as the House of Representatives and the Senate were less than an hour into their debating of the Electoral College certification process.
Scenes showing the Capitol breached for the first time since 1812 streaked across the front pages of the nation’s newspapers.
The New York Times for 7 January ran with the opening headline ‘Trump incites mob’, in a nod to the role that Donald Trump’s incendiary speech in Washington on Wednesday ostensibly played in triggering the ensuing chain of events.
The front page of The New York Times for Jan. 7, 2021 (late edition). pic.twitter.com/enmoNs55vm
— The New York Times (@nytimes) January 7, 2021
The San Francisco Chronicle had the word ‘Insurrection” straddling its front page. The outlet wrote that as the certification of the Joe Biden presidential victory got underway, a ‘violent mob encouraged by Trump’ stormed the Capitol.
Here's an early look at tomorrow's @sfchronicle front page: pic.twitter.com/VStopJ4Naj
— San Francisco Chronicle (@sfchronicle) January 7, 2021
Thursday's The Washington Post went with the headline, “Trump mob storms Capitol”, as it slammed Donald Trump for ‘inciting’ crowd to ‘acts of insurrection, violence’.
The front page of Thursday's Washington Post:
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) January 7, 2021
Trump mob storms Capitol
President incites crowd to acts of insurrection, violence pic.twitter.com/4H8YVYO3jW
An early look at the front page of The Wall Street Journal showed the front page with the headline “Mob storms Capitol”. The outlet wrote of the delayed Biden certification as ‘political violence’ shook the nation.
Take an early look at the front page of The Wall Street Journal https://t.co/i1VtaVQq6H pic.twitter.com/p4c83YmSUI
— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) January 7, 2021
The Philadelphia Inquirer ran with the opening story “Incited by Trump, mob halts count”. The article describes the ‘chaos’ inside the building, posting footage of rioters ‘roaming the Capitol’ before order was restored.
For the first time since 1814, the U.S. Capitol is stormed. Take a look a Thursday's @PhillyInquirer front page. Photo by @jessicagriffin. pic.twitter.com/K6L0wnUmmQ
— Brian Leighton (@phillyleighton) January 7, 2021
The Detroit Free Press similarly opted for a curt one-word headline, “Resurrection”.
Tomorrow's @freep front page. pic.twitter.com/By1l1NyPVZ
— Detroit Free Press (@freep) January 7, 2021
Media outlets across the world also weighed in on the chaos and violence in Washington.
Italy’s La Repubblica wrote that as Congress certifies Biden's election win, ‘four died in the clashes’.
And some current newspaper homepages from around the world: pic.twitter.com/iplH67dljn
— Julia Wick (@sherlyholmes) January 7, 2021
French Le Monde slammed Trump as the ‘president of chaos’ who ‘thrives on divisions, violence’.
— Julia Wick (@sherlyholmes) January 7, 2021
Die Welt also ran a cover story narrating the timeline of the developments that marred the certification of the Electoral College vote tally.
— Julia Wick (@sherlyholmes) January 7, 2021
The response of world leaders as they condemned the violent scenes in Washington was covered by their respective media outlets, with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson going on Twitter to deplore the "disgraceful scenes".
Disgraceful scenes in U.S. Congress. The United States stands for democracy around the world and it is now vital that there should be a peaceful and orderly transfer of power.
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) January 6, 2021
German Chancellor Angela Merkel felt "angry and also sad" after seeing footage of the storming of the US legislature.
On Twitter, French President Emmanuel Macron decried the protesters taking up arms to “challenge the legitimate results of an election”.
We believe in democracy.#WeAreOne pic.twitter.com/dj3hs66KKn
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) January 7, 2021
It was only after 8 p.m. that lawmakers were able to resume the procedure after the forced recess, returning to their respective chambers to resume debates, which lasted into the early hours of Thursday morning.
After the Senate and the House of Representatives voted to reject an objection to Arizona's electoral results, as well as challenges to Joe Biden’s win in Pennsylvania, President-elect Joe Biden was formally acknowledged as the winner of the 2020 presidential election in the US.
Lawmakers also affirmed Vice President-elect Kamala Harris's victory.
Without publicly admitting defeat, Donald Trump early Thursday morning acknowledged he will leave office and agreed to an orderly transition of power.
In a statement tweeted by a senior aide, Trump, whose own Twitter account has been temporarily locked, officially concedes there will be a presidential transition: pic.twitter.com/KB9QQqZvf0
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) January 7, 2021
The inauguration of Joe Biden is scheduled to take place at noon, on 20 January.
