<p class="bodytext">Tense officers pointing guns, lawmakers with gas masks, camouflaged protesters smashing windows -- this was the day that President Donald Trump's bid to overturn the US election went "wild."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Inside the great domed US Capitol building, initially out of view of the cameras, images emerged of a scene that resembled something from a coup d'etat.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Trump supporters, waving his blue flags and wearing his red campaign hats, stormed through the building, making it right into the debating chamber.</p>.<p class="bodytext">A viral photo on Twitter showed plainclothes security men aiming pistols point-blank through the smashed window of a door to stop anyone else getting in.</p>.<p class="bodytext"><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/facebook-twitter-lock-trumps-account-youtube-removes-his-video-after-capitol-violence-936065.html" target="_blank">Facebook, Twitter lock Trump's account; YouTube removes his video after Capitol violence</a></strong></p>.<p class="bodytext">Legislators were given gas masks to protect themselves against tear gas as they rushed to safety.</p>.<p class="bodytext">For those fleeing, it was a race against time: Protestors were getting in as quickly as members of Congress could get out. Some protestors even occupied the office of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, sitting mockingly at a desk.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I've not seen anything like this since I deployed to Iraq," Mike Gallagher, a Republican lawmaker and military veteran, told CNN.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Trump had said all along he wanted to stop Congress from officially certifying Democrat Joe Biden's election victory on Wednesday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">There was no way he could do it legally.</p>.<p class="bodytext"><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/world-news-politics/can-trump-be-removed-from-office-before-his-term-ends-on-january-20-936076.html" target="_blank">Can Trump be removed from office before his term ends on January 20?</a></strong></p>.<p class="bodytext">Trump tried. He threatened his vice president, Mike Pence, who was meant to preside over the ceremony.</p>.<p class="bodytext">But Pence retorted that he had no constitutional leeway: The rules were clear.</p>.<p class="bodytext">So Trump's supporters intervened, at least temporarily derailing the proceedings -- literally bringing democracy to a halt.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The mobs went on their mission after a final pep talk from their leader.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Trump addressed them for more than an hour on the National Mall, delivering a torrent of false claims and conspiracy theories about why he should remain president despite losing the November election.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Then he encouraged them to march on Congress.</p>.<p class="bodytext"><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/trump-supporters-storm-capitol-clash-with-police-1-dead-936066.html" target="_blank">Trump supporters storm Capitol, clash with police; 1 dead</a></strong></p>.<p class="bodytext">Within minutes the mob was pouring up the Capitol steps. Violent small groups then fought with police, pushing ever further and eventually getting inside.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Television footage showed men, some in military gear, smashing a window and climbing through. Other groups clambered up on the roofs of black official vehicles parked outside Congress, abandoned by their drivers.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Trump had promised his supporters that Wednesday would be a "wild" day for the nation's capital.</p>.<p class="bodytext">It was.</p>
<p class="bodytext">Tense officers pointing guns, lawmakers with gas masks, camouflaged protesters smashing windows -- this was the day that President Donald Trump's bid to overturn the US election went "wild."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Inside the great domed US Capitol building, initially out of view of the cameras, images emerged of a scene that resembled something from a coup d'etat.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Trump supporters, waving his blue flags and wearing his red campaign hats, stormed through the building, making it right into the debating chamber.</p>.<p class="bodytext">A viral photo on Twitter showed plainclothes security men aiming pistols point-blank through the smashed window of a door to stop anyone else getting in.</p>.<p class="bodytext"><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/facebook-twitter-lock-trumps-account-youtube-removes-his-video-after-capitol-violence-936065.html" target="_blank">Facebook, Twitter lock Trump's account; YouTube removes his video after Capitol violence</a></strong></p>.<p class="bodytext">Legislators were given gas masks to protect themselves against tear gas as they rushed to safety.</p>.<p class="bodytext">For those fleeing, it was a race against time: Protestors were getting in as quickly as members of Congress could get out. Some protestors even occupied the office of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, sitting mockingly at a desk.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I've not seen anything like this since I deployed to Iraq," Mike Gallagher, a Republican lawmaker and military veteran, told CNN.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Trump had said all along he wanted to stop Congress from officially certifying Democrat Joe Biden's election victory on Wednesday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">There was no way he could do it legally.</p>.<p class="bodytext"><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/world-news-politics/can-trump-be-removed-from-office-before-his-term-ends-on-january-20-936076.html" target="_blank">Can Trump be removed from office before his term ends on January 20?</a></strong></p>.<p class="bodytext">Trump tried. He threatened his vice president, Mike Pence, who was meant to preside over the ceremony.</p>.<p class="bodytext">But Pence retorted that he had no constitutional leeway: The rules were clear.</p>.<p class="bodytext">So Trump's supporters intervened, at least temporarily derailing the proceedings -- literally bringing democracy to a halt.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The mobs went on their mission after a final pep talk from their leader.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Trump addressed them for more than an hour on the National Mall, delivering a torrent of false claims and conspiracy theories about why he should remain president despite losing the November election.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Then he encouraged them to march on Congress.</p>.<p class="bodytext"><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/trump-supporters-storm-capitol-clash-with-police-1-dead-936066.html" target="_blank">Trump supporters storm Capitol, clash with police; 1 dead</a></strong></p>.<p class="bodytext">Within minutes the mob was pouring up the Capitol steps. Violent small groups then fought with police, pushing ever further and eventually getting inside.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Television footage showed men, some in military gear, smashing a window and climbing through. Other groups clambered up on the roofs of black official vehicles parked outside Congress, abandoned by their drivers.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Trump had promised his supporters that Wednesday would be a "wild" day for the nation's capital.</p>.<p class="bodytext">It was.</p>