Dystopian photo shows Trump rioters clashing with police in front of the US Capitol as night falls in DC
- On Wednesday, a mob of President Donald Trump's supporters stormed the US Capitol, forcing Congress to go under lockdown as they were counting the Electoral College votes from the 2020 presidential election.
- In the most significant breach of the US Capitol since 1814, pro-Trump rioters clashed with police officers for much of the day at the historic building.
- A photo taken by Reuters photographer Leah Millis showed police munitions lighting the US Capitol as Trump's supporters continued to riot outside.
The US Capitol in Washington, DC, a beacon of American government, became the scene of a dystopian nightmare on Wednesday, fueled by the debunked electoral grievances of President Donald Trump.
Trump's 2016 victory was a breakthrough for many Republicans who wanted a more confrontational form of conservatism, but nearly four years after the president's single term, the skies were lit by flash-bangs from law enforcement munitions trying to maintain order in the nation's capital.
The country has long been politically polarized, with sharp ideological divergences over issues like abortion, race, and guns dominating the public sphere for years.
But peaceful presidential transitions have been the norm throughout American history, with supporters of political candidates respecting the democratic process.
The events of January 6 changed that trajectory, and as the police clashes above reveal, the ideological conflicts are not going to disappear overnight.