Congress attests Biden as US president

Congress certified Joe Biden’s win as president at 3:41am local time after a mob incited by Donald Trump broke into the Capitol and interrupted the process.

The ceremony ended with an announcement by vice-president Mike Pence, who went by the book in conducting the event, that Biden had won with 306 electoral votes to 232 for Trump.

Trump released a statement promising “an orderly transition on January 20th” but repeating election fraud lies and not mentioning Biden.

Four people died when hundreds of Trump supporters broke into the Capitol, where one was shot dead by police. Three other people died from medical conditions, police said.

Republicans who had demanded challenges to the election result and spread lies about voter fraud quickly swallowed those claims after the Capitol was invaded and called for peace.

The joint session of Congress adjourned twice for debate, over objections to results in Arizona and Pennsylvania. The Arizona objection was defeated 93-6 in the Senate and 303-122 in the House, and the Pennsylvania objection was defeated 92-7 in the Senate and 282-138 in the House.

House members objected to results in four other states but could not find a senator to join their objections.
At least 52 people were reportedly arrested.