2 years on: The aftermath of the January 6 United States Capitol riots
The January 6 riots left five people dead and highlighted a number of failures by security forces assigned to the Capitol.
More than 2,000 rioters entered the US Capitol building, many of whom occupied, vandalised, looted and assaulted police officers and reporters; and attempted to locate lawmakers to capture them.
Five people died and more than 140 police officers were injured two years ago this week when supporters of then-President Donald Trump violently breached the US Capitol as lawmakers and Trump's vice president, Mike Pence, were set to certify his loss to Democrat Joe Biden.
Despite the chaos, Joe Biden was inaugurated as the president. Where is America now, two years from the attack?
With the second anniversary of the riots looming, the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th attack on the United States Capitol wrapped up its business last month by releasing its 800-plus-page report and hundreds of interview transcripts.
In its report, the committee recommends barring Trump from holding office again.
Trump swiftly lashed out over the report on his Truth Social platform.
He called it a “highly partisan” report and blamed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for the breakdown in security that day, resurfacing his claims of election fraud.
Trump claims he ordered National Guard troops to the scene on the day, only to be blocked by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.
The committee, on the other hand, spared no words in laying blame for the violence on January 6 squarely at Trump’s feet.
The final document reads like an indictment of Trump, explaining his direct role in every facet of the plot to overturn the 2020 election.
Through 814 pages, the committee members — seven Democrats and two anti-Trump Republicans — annotate interviews from more than 1,000 witnesses, information obtained from millions of pages of documents and the contents of 10 public hearings.
It leaves no doubt that the committee believes Trump, and Trump alone, was responsible for the January 6 attack.
“None of the events of January 6th would have happened without him,” the report states.
Vice Chair Liz Cheney, former Vice-President Dick Cheney’s daughter, who has been repeatedly critical of Trump and who has openly considered running for the presidency in 2024, said Trump was the first time America saw a president refuse to peacefully transfer authority after the election.
On the other hand, Republicans believe the investigative committee cannot be impartial due to the selection process of its members.
READ MORE: US January 6 committee unveils report, says Trump engaged in 'conspiracy'
The Seven Democrats and two Republicans tasked with investigating the Janurary 6 riots where all appointed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Republicans working on alternative report
Last year, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, opted to boycott the proceedings after Pelosi rejected the lawmakers he sought to appoint to the select committee.
Meanwhile, Republicans have announced that they are working on their own report outlining the intelligence and security failures that occurred during the January 6 riots.
The GOP document is meant to serve as a rebuttal to the final report by the House select committee investigating the riot.
Republicans say their report will showcase the security and intelligence failures leading up to January 6.
They argue Speaker Nancy Pelosi had sufficient forewarning the protests could become tense, but refused to take appropriate action to fortify the Capitol.
READ MORE: US House repeatedly rejects McCarthy despite Trump's unity plea
What are the ramifications for Trump?
The committee’s unprecedented criminal referral holds no official legal weight, and a final determination in whether to pursue the charges will be up to Attorney General Merrick Garland and the Justice Department.
"We remain committed to ensuring accountability for those criminally responsible for the January 6 assault on our democracy”, Garland stated in a written statement published on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Republicans are drawing comparisons between the findings of the committee and the allegations of Trump’s collusion with Russia.
"How many times did Adam Schiff say that there was evidence of collusion with Russia? Two and a half years we listened to Adam Schiff talk about evidence that he had seen that was never there," Trump’s former Vice President Pence told America’s Newsroom hosts Dana Perino and Bill Hemmer, prior to the release of the report.
On the other hand, Trump has formally announced he will be seeking the Republican nomination for the 2024 presidency.
He is currently ahead on early polling against other potential candidates, although Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is closing the gap.
READ MORE: Donald Trump launches 2024 White House bid
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