It has been 200 years since the U.S. Capitol has seen as much violence as it did on Jan. 6. Donald Trump supporters angry over the loss of the election and the confirmation of Joe Biden as the 46th president of the United States, stormed the Capitol with aggression to fight truth with violence. 

Nov. 3, 2020, election day turned into election week and that week were the longest days America had been through. There was constant anxiety over who would be the next president of the United States of America. At the end of those days, relief would be met to that anxiety for those who needed it, the others experienced anger and frustration because Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were elected as the next president and vice president of the United States of America. Most Americans rejoiced in this win while others including former President Donald Trump, could not accept it. Accusations of voter fraud, an “unfair” election and a “stolen” election permeated the media for months. 

The amount of power a leader holds can be detrimental as much as it can be empowering, and on Jan. 6, Donald Trump took advantage of that power at the Save America Rally and used it irresponsibly. On that same day, the confirmation of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, the Save America Rally took place. Feeding the frustration of his supporters with statements like, “We fight like hell and if you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore,” led to the U.S. Capitol experiencing the most damaging attack since the War of 1812 when the British marched into Washington and set fire to the U.S. Capitol. 

Broken windows, offices vandalized, five people dead, the temple of democracy completely desecrated. After hours of the riots and with the help of the national guard, rattled members of Congress returned to resume what was supposed to take place before the storming of the Capitol. During the early hours of the morning former Vice President Pence affirmed that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris would be the next President and Vice President of the U.S. and after feeding into his supporter’s frustration, influencing them to take action, Donald Trump faced his second impeachment for inciting the riots. 

Government can be a tricky thing, in the right hands it can be peaceful but in the wrong hands it can turn into anarchy. The riots were not a surprise, Donald Trump supporters felt power slip from their hands and fought for that power with violence. Even after one of the most damaging attacks on the Capitol was caused by Americans desecrating democracy, hope might have felt lost. However, two weeks later that hope was found again. On Jan. 20, Joe Biden and the first woman of color, Kamala Harris, were sworn into office. Keeping hope is important. There will always be people who will try to eliminate that hope, but having the first woman sworn into office keeps that hope alive.