By Jonathan Lemire, AP — Thursday 7 January 2021
The riotous mob that laid siege to the US Capitol on Wednesday was the product of the destructive forces that President Donald Trump has been stirring for years, culminating in the disruption of a democratic ritual that would formally end his unconstitutional bid to stay in power. Rioters pushed through police barricades, broke windows, and occupied the seats of power — including Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s dais and office. One man carried a Confederate flag through the Capitol rotunda where Abraham Lincoln had lain in state. “This is an attempted coup d’état incited by the President of the United States,” said presidential historian Michael Beschloss. Biden responded: “At their best, the words of a president can inspire. At their worst, they can incite.”