Protesters Storm US Capitol... Trump Accountability and Inadequate Response Under Scrutiny

Fewer Personnel Deployed to Avoid Tension at Protest Site
Four Dead Including Woman Shot
Attack on Parliament First Since 1814

Supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol grounds in Washington, D.C., on the 6th (local time). Thousands of protesters gathered around the Capitol that day and, after breaking through police barriers, entered the Capitol building. The joint session of Congress, which was scheduled to certify President-elect Joe Biden's victory, was abruptly suspended just one hour after it began due to the protesters' intrusion. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] On the 6th (local time), the U.S. Capitol was stormed by protesters, raising questions about the responsibility of President Donald Trump and the authorities' inadequate response.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that "despite the protest being anticipated, the authorities failed to accurately predict the size of the crowd and deployed only a small number of personnel, which was a critical mistake."

◆ Small-scale deployment focused on traffic control = According to WSJ, federal government officials planned a relatively small and minimal on-site deployment ahead of the protest.

However, thousands of supporters of President Donald Trump surged toward the Capitol, and some easily broke through barricades and entered the building. WSJ pointed out that considering the clashes that erupted in various places last year, the decision to deploy fewer personnel to prevent tensions from escalating at the protest site backfired.

In fact, the Department of Defense initially believed that deploying about 350 personnel would be sufficient to support the Capitol, and even that was mainly focused on traffic control. This was because the Capitol was reluctant to have military personnel visibly present, and access within a certain range around the Capitol was also blocked accordingly.

After the Capitol was breached, the Department of Defense announced it would deploy an additional 1,100 National Guard troops, but WSJ reported it is unclear whether they were actually deployed at the Capitol.

Accordingly, WSJ noted that the response on that day was markedly different from the Trump administration's usual hardline stance at protest sites. Since last year, the Trump administration has often deployed federal personnel to anti-racism protests and was criticized in June for using tear gas against protesters peacefully marching near the White House.

◆ Trump’s possible incitement of protesters = Multiple foreign media outlets are focusing on the possibility that President Trump incited the protesters, escalating the conflict into violence.

At around 11 a.m. on the same day, President Trump gave a speech at Ellipse Park near the White House, telling the protesters, "I will never concede (the election results)." On that day, a joint session of Congress was held to certify the presidential election victory of Democratic candidate Joe Biden.

He claimed that Vice President Mike Pence, as the ex officio President of the Senate, would preside over the joint session and block the certification of the election results. However, Vice President Pence publicly rejected President Trump's order, citing the need to uphold the Constitution.

Shortly after, some protesters began storming the Capitol where the joint session was taking place. Protesters carrying Trump flags reportedly continued threatening behavior, shouting, "Trump won the election," and "Where are the lawmakers?"

A few minutes later, reports emerged that a woman inside the Capitol had been shot, and three others died, totaling four fatalities.

Historians pointed out that this was the first time the U.S. Congress had been attacked since 1814, when British troops occupied and burned the Capitol during the war between the United States and Britain.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.