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01/06/2021 05:09 PM EST
His victory resets the Senate’s balance of power at 50-50, securing a Democratic majority for the first time since 2014 due to Vice President-elect Kamala Harris’s ability to cast tie-breaking votes in the chamber once she is inaugurated. The first of those will make Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) the majority leader, relegating current Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to the minority after six years in charge of the Senate.
PolitiFact: A day of crisis at the U.S. Capitol, fact-checked
Hereâs a look at our fact-checks of the dayâs short session, and the chaos that interrupted it.
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Supporters of President Donald Trump are confronted by Capitol Police officers outside the Capitol, Wednesday in Washington. [ MANUEL BALCE CENETA | AP ]
By PolitiFact
Updated Jan. 7
In an unprecedented day of chaos in the nationâs capital, hundreds of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol building as lawmakers were counting the presidential electoral votes. They overran barricades and some reached the hallway outside the Senate chamber, forcing a halt to the proceedings.
Pence affirms Biden as winner, formalizing electoral count after day of riots at Capitol; Trump prepares for exit Ledyard King, Maureen Groppe, Nicholas Wu, Bart Jansen, Courtney Subramanian and Joey Garrison, USA TODAY
Watch as Congress certifies Joe Biden s presidential victory
Replay Video UP NEXT
Pence officially declared Biden the winner at 3:41 a.m. EST. Not long after, Trump released a statement through a White House social media account, acknowledging Biden s win, a first. Even though I totally disagree with the outcome of the election, and the facts bear me out, nevertheless there will be an orderly transition on January 20th,” Trump s statement said.
Hours after violent pro-Trump extremists forced evacuations of the House and Senate, pausing the process of certifying the votes, top leaders insisted they would finish the process "tonight."
A chaotic protest aimed at thwarting a peaceful transfer of power forced lawmakers from the building and interrupted challenges to Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory. Here's how it progressed through the day.