Incited the January 6th Insurrection
After months of election lies, Trump summoned supporters to Washington and directed them to march on the Capitol, resulting in a violent insurrection that left multiple people dead and injured over 140 police officers.
On January 6, 2021, a mob of Trump supporters violently stormed the United States Capitol in an attempt to prevent the certification of the 2020 presidential election. The attack was the culmination of months of lies about election fraud, for which no credible evidence was ever produced despite dozens of failed court challenges.
That morning, Trump held a rally near the White House where he told supporters to "fight like hell" and directed them to march to the Capitol. As the violence unfolded — with rioters breaking windows, assaulting police officers, and searching for lawmakers — Trump watched on television and resisted calls to intervene for hours.
The consequences were devastating:
- Five people died in connection with the attack
- Over 140 police officers were injured
- Members of Congress were evacuated or forced to shelter in place
- The peaceful transfer of power — a cornerstone of American democracy since 1797 — was violently disrupted for the first time
Trump was subsequently impeached by the House for incitement of insurrection, making him the only president in American history to be impeached twice. The bipartisan January 6th Committee later concluded that Trump engaged in a "multi-part plan" to overturn the election.