US Capitol building stormed

As the protesters sought to take over the Capitol building, Trump tweeted statements in an attempt to tamp down the rioting.

"Please support our Capitol Police and Law Enforcement," he posted. "They are truly on the side of our Country. Stay peaceful!"

As the clashes intensified, he tweeted again: "I am asking for everyone at the U.S. Capitol to remain peaceful. No violence! Remember, WE are the Party of Law & Order — respect the Law and our great men and women in Blue."

If protesters read his tweets, they did nothing but continued to seek entrance into the building, scaling walls and shouting "USA! USA!"

Then in a video posted to his Twitter account shortly after 4 pm, Trump stood on the White House lawn and told the protesters to "go home," saying, "We love you." He also repeated his debunked claim that "the election was stolen".

Twitter (for 12 hours) and Facebook (for 24 hours) later announced temporary suspensions of Trump's account.

Biden then responded to the violence, saying in a short TV broadcast, "I call on President Trump to go on national television now to fulfill his oath and defend the Constitution and demand an end to this siege."