The 2020 election was one for the books; the history books that is. Former Vice President Joe Biden ran against President Donald Trump for the most coveted title in America: President of the United States. For months, controversy spread on which candidate would better run the country. Then election day was finally here. Millions of Americans rushed to polling places on November 3rd to cast their ballots for their golden candidate.

On November 7, 2020, former Vice President Joe Biden was declared the winner of the 2020 presidential election. Uproar raced across America. Trump started yelling election fraud, his supporters began planning attacks, and Biden supporters celebrated calmly. Eventually an official national recount was ordered. 

On January 6, 2021 at 2:00 p.m., the U.S Senate gathered to count the ballots. Alabama, nine votes for Trump, Alaska, three votes for Trump, Arizona, eleven votes for Biden, then the sound of glass cracking rang through the rotunda. Pro-Trump rioters had gathered around the Capitol Building with Confederate flags and “Make America Great Again” apparel and were now breaking in. Thirty-seven minutes later, Representative Jim Himes sent out a tweet saying, “Police have asked us to get gas masks out as there has been tear gas used in the rotunda.” Fifty minutes after the crowd had gathered, it was confirmed that shots had been fired into the building and a woman was fatally wounded. Ten minutes following the confirmation, Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser issued a city-wide curfew lasting twelve hours. It wasn’t until 8 p.m. that the Senate was able to resume the discussion.

This attack lasted six hours. For six hours Trump supporters attacked the Capitol Building. Many politicians, such as Trump, Biden, and Himes, sent out tweets during this time. These tweets were a mixture of what was happening and what it meant. But what led to this vicious, six hour attack? What could’ve caused over one thousand people to be so angry they defied law enforcement while carrying blue lives matter flags in the name of their prime presidential candidate? 

  In January of 2020 President Trump began expressing support for 2nd Amendment protesters. This gave his supporters the idea he supported owning guns, multiple weapons at that. Throughout April of 2020 Trump tweeted about anti-pandemic lockdown protests happening in several states. Armed citizens were angry about locking down for the pandemic, and their president supported them, thus making them feel they don’t need to follow Covid-19 regulations. Throughout the month of June, Trump sent out emails “for patriots only” inviting them to be a member of the “Trump Army” followed by Trump’s refusal to state if he would accept the election results or not. In August, Trump appeared to support the QAnon group for the first time. 

These are all minor events that seem to have no place in causing an attack on the Capitol Building. However in September, Trump refused to ensure a peaceful transfer of power, meaning he had something up his sleeve. Suddenly in October, Trump knows nothing about QAnon despite supporting them merely two months earlier. Ten days following election day, Trump begins speaking about “defending our republic” with Sidney Powell stating, “This is essentially a new American Revolution,” during an interview with Lou Dobbs. During December, multiple “Stop the Steal” protests begin and many turn violent. Trump later expressed his support for these protests. Later in December, Trump vaguely discussed a large gathering of his supporters that should happen on January 6th. Throughout the rest of December and the beginning of January, Trump continued to rally his supporters to gather in Washington, D.C. on January 6th.

This protest was mainly gathered over a series of tweets and interviews from Trump and his higher-up supporters. Some of the most endorsing quotes from Trump himself include telling the Proud Boys to, “Stand back and stand by,” during the first presidential debate. He followed this with, “Wow! Thousands of people forming in Washington (D.C.) for Stop the Steal. Didn’t know about this, but I’ll be seeing them! #MAGA”. He then sent out a tweet directly addressing the date, “Big protest in DC on January 6th. Be there, will be wild!” in his exact words. The next tweet directly addressing the event stated, “The BIG Protest Rally in Washington, D.C. will take place at 11:00 A.M. on January 6th. Locational details to follow. StopThe Steal!” Trump’s final tweet before the event said, “The States want to redo their votes. They found out they voted on a FRAUD. Legislatures never approved. Let them do it. BE STRONG!” 

There are plenty of reasons to believe Trump endorsed, maybe even planned, the January 6th Capitol Building attack. The Proud Boys definitely understood Trump’s messages and acted upon them, which Trump watched with excitement. Based on the events of the last twelve months, it can be concluded that Trump had a backup plan in case he didn’t win and gladly shared the plan with his supporters after the results came out. Since Trump never directly said, “attack the Capitol Building,” is the attack really his fault? His supporters might say no, his opposers might say yes. All that can be definitely proven is January 6th, 2021, a six hour attack led by Trump supporters was released on the Capitol Building.