Attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election |
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| Part of Presidency of Donald Trump, transition of Joe Biden, democratic backsliding in the United States | |
 The electoral map for the 2020 election. Blue denotes the 306 electoral votes for Biden, while red denotes the 232 electoral votes for Trump.
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| Caused by | Fabricated claims of electoral fraud by Donald Trump |
| Goals | To overturn the results of the 2020 United States presidential election and install Donald Trump as president. |
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| Charged | Donald Trump, Mark Meadows, Rudy Giuliani, Jenna Ellis, Sidney Powell, January 6 rioters |
After the 2020 United States presidential election, a series of attempts were made to overturn the results, primarily led by then-incumbent President Donald Trump and his allies.
Background
Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election, receiving over 81 million votes (51.3% of the total) compared to Trump's approximately 74 million (46.8%). In the Electoral College, Biden secured 306 votes to Trump's 232.
Following the election, Trump and his supporters propagated unfounded claims that the election was stolen through widespread fraud and irregularities, particularly focusing on mail-in voting, which had increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Trump's campaign filed over 60 lawsuits across various states contesting the election results. Most of these were dismissed by courts due to lack of evidence. Notably, a Pennsylvania judge criticized one lawsuit for attempting to disenfranchise millions of voters without compelling evidence.
Trump pressured state officials and members of Congress to overturn the results. This included urging Georgia's Secretary of State to "find" votes and pressuring Vice President Mike Pence to reject electoral votes during the certification process.
January 6 Capitol Attack
The culmination of these efforts was the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters. This event occurred as Congress was set to certify Biden's victory. The attack aimed to disrupt this process and keep Trump in power.
On January 6, Trump held a rally near the White House where he repeated false claims about election fraud and urged his supporters to march to the Capitol. He stated, "If you don't fight like hell, you're not going to have a country anymore" .
Following Trump's speech, thousands of his supporters marched toward the Capitol. Many were already gathered there for protests against the election results. At approximately 1:00 PM, rioters began overwhelming police barriers and breached the Capitol building around 2:00 PM. They vandalized offices, ransacked chambers, and searched for lawmakers, including Vice President Mike Pence and Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
The attack resulted in at least five deaths, including one rioter shot by police and several others who died from medical emergencies or natural causes. Over 140 law enforcement officers were injured during the chaos. The Capitol was secured around 5:40 PM after law enforcement regained control with assistance from the National Guard and other agencies.
Aftermath
On January 13, 2021, Trump was impeached by the House of Representatives for "incitement of insurrection," making him the first president to be impeached twice. He was later acquitted by the Senate.
In the year following the attack, over 725 individuals were arrested and charged with various crimes related to their actions during the riot. Charges included assaulting police officers and seditious conspiracy.
A House Select Committee was formed to investigate the events leading up to and during the attack. This committee conducted hearings and gathered extensive evidence regarding the planning and execution of the insurrection.
See also
- Post-election lawsuits related to the 2020 U.S. presidential election
