By: Tyler Young/Staff Writer
Photo Caption: President Joe Biden is sworn in on Inauguration Day. Photo from: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-01-21/joe-biden-sworn-in-president-of-the-us-inauguration-ceremony/13076538
The change in U.S. presidents over the past few months was rather eventful. Claims of voter fraud cast shadows on the election and caused numerous investigations. While there was no substantiated proof of this voter fraud, President Trump said repeatedly that this was the case. Now some may say his beliefs are true because there was confusion over mail-in ballots during the 2020 presidential election. However, evidence has not proven it as of yet. “The president and his allies filed 62 lawsuits in state and federal courts seeking to overturn election results in states the president lost, according to Marc Elias, a Democratic election lawyer who is tracking the outcomes.” (USA Today) Out of all 62 cases, only 61 have won. But that one win was because some citizens failed to provide a proper ID in Pennsylvania, and the number of disqualified votes would not make a difference in the outcome of the vote. (https://www.post-gazette.com/news/crime-courts/2020/11/12/trump-campaign-election-2020-presidential-pennsylvania-lawsuit-ballots-late-identification/stories/202011120132)
Skip ahead to November 3, Election Day. It was a close call from the beginning. But in the end, Democrat candidate Joe Biden and his chosen Vice-President Kamala Harris pulled ahead, winning major states such as Arizona, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Georgia. Joe Biden had won the electoral college vote, and was soon to be sworn in as president. This is when voter fraud became a really popular phrase used by former President Trump, and became a concern to be investigated.
The next important event came on January 6, 2021, the beginning of a new year with many hopes after the challenging year of 2020. But again, it was quite eventful. Before a full week of 2021 passed, a very important historical event occurred on that day. President Trump attended a rally in Washington, D.C. amid claims that there was voter fraud in the Presidential vote. Some attendees of the rally proceeded to storm the Capitol building, wishing to prevent Congress from counting the votes. A riot broke out outside the Capitol, which led policemen and women to protect the Capitol. But it wasn’t enough; the mob forced their way into the Capitol, taking it over. One rioter was shot by Capitol police. Two Capitol policemen died as a result of the riot. Three other civilians died due to medical emergencies. Senators and members of Congress had to flee to be escorted to safety. Many items in the building were also broken and ruined. President Trump tried to stop the mob by telling them to go home. “”It was a landslide election, everyone knows it … but you have to go home now,” Trump said. “We have to have peace, we have to have law and order, we have to respect our great people in law and order. We don’t want anyone hurt.’” (quoted in NBC News article online: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/blog/electoral-college-certification-updates-n1252864/ncrd1253120#blogHeader) Just days before Inauguration Day, President Trump was set for trial, yet again, to be impeached by the US House of Representatives on January 13 for what members said was “inciting an insurrection at the Capitol” (https://www.npr.org/sections/trump-impeachment-effort-live-updates/2021/01/13/956412385/the-house-has-impeached-trump-again-heres-how-house-members-voted) The Senate impeachment trial will start on February 9. “House Democrats said Tuesday in making their most detailed case yet for why the former president should be convicted and permanently barred from office.” (ApNews)
On January 20, 2021, Inauguration Day, at 2:00 pm President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris swore their promise to follow the Constitution and were sworn into office. But President Trump wasn’t there. “Meanwhile, Donald Trump is at Mar-a-Lago in Florida. He was the first president in 150 years to boycott his successor’s inauguration.” (CNN at https://edition.cnn.com/politics/live-news/biden-harris-inauguration-day-2021/h_8f29890075535554698ebf2eb48ed606) The ups and downs of the election and inauguration continue, as the Senate impeachment trial has begun.