US marks 4 years since bloody January 6 riot as Trump set to take office

President-Elect Donald Trump, following his second impeachment and legal woes in the wake of the Capitol attack by his supporters, has gone full circle as he gears up to be sworn in

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Rioters are confronted by police officers outside the Senate Chamber inside the Capitol in Washington, United States, January 6, 2021
Rioters are confronted by police officers outside the Senate Chamber inside the Capitol in Washington, United States, January 6, 2021AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File

The United States marks four years on Monday since the attack on the Capitol by supporters of President-Elect Donald Trump.

AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File
With the White House in the background, President Donald Trump speaks at a rally in Washington, January 6, 2021AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File

Trump, who called on his supporters to "stop the steal" of the 2020 elections, won by now-outgoing President Joe Biden, became the only president to be impeached twice for "incitement of insurrection." He was acquitted several weeks later, as the necessary supermajority was not obtained in the US Senate.

AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File
Supporters of President Donald Trump, including Jacob Chansley, right with fur hat, are confronted by U.S. Capitol Police officers outside the Senate Chamber inside the Capitol in WashingtonAP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File

Dozens of his followers have been arrested after the violent attack, with those imprisoned expecting Trump to extend them a pardon.

AP Photo/John Minchillo, File
Violent insurrectionists loyal to President Donald Trump, storm the Capitol, January 6, 2021AP Photo/John Minchillo, File

Over the next four years, Trump came under several high-profile lawsuits, ostensibly challenging his ability to continue in the 2024 presidential race. At the start of 2024, he faced four criminal charges that threatened to put him behind bars. As the severity of the charges were either lessened or dropped, Trump came out ahead of Biden in the presidential debates mere months ahead of his election.

AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana
Rioters scale a wall at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, in Washington, DC AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana

Biden's performance was so bad that he was convinced to step down, making the way for Vice President Kamala Harris to win. Perhaps the most enduring image of Trump's comeback, however, was the assassination attempt on his life, during which he rose with blood running down his face, chanting, "Fight! Fight!" as he was whisked away by Secret Service agents.

After defeating Harris, the election of Trump suggests that, even if most Americans have not forgiven him for his role in the riot, enough of them either do not mind or still prefer him to the alternative.

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