Live updates: Biden blames outgoing US President Trump for violence at Capitol

Condemning the violence at the US Capitol by pro-Trump supporters in the strongest possible terms, Vice President Mike Pence said violence never wins, freedom does, as Congress returned to work on certifying his boss' election loss to Joe Biden. “We condemn the violence that took place here in the strongest possible terms. We grieve the loss of life in these hallowed halls, as well as the injuries suffered by those who defended our Capitol today. And we will always be grateful to the men and women who stayed at their posts to defend this historic place," Pence said in his remarks as he presided over the resumption of the Joint Session of the Congress, which was disrupted after the violence.

US President-elect Joe Biden condemned what he called "insurrection" at the US Capitol on Wednesday, after protesters broke into the building and forced proceedings to formally count the Electoral College votes to halt. "This is not protest, it's insurrection," Biden said in Wilmington, Delaware. "This is not dissent. It's disorder. It's chaos. It borders on sedition."

Four people died on the US Capitol grounds Wednesday and 52 people have been arrested, Metropolitan Police Department said Wednesday evening, after supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol in an unprecedented effort to stop Congress from certifying President-elect Joe Biden's election victory. Several others were arrested on charges related to carrying unlicensed or prohibited firearms.

Jon Ossoff completed a Democratic sweep of Georgia’s Senate runoffs on Wednesday, a striking political validation for his party in a state that has been challenging for Democrats for most of the last two decades. Less than 12 hours earlier, the Rev. Raphael Warnock, the senior pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, unseated Sen. Kelly Loeffler, becoming the first Black Democrat elected to the Senate from the South.

“History will rightly remember today's violence at the Capitol, incited by a sitting president who has continued to baselessly lie about the outcome of a lawful election, as a moment of great dishonour and shame for our nation. But we'd be kidding ourselves if we treated it as a total surprise,” Obama said in a statement.

Members of President Donald Trump's cabinet on Wednesday discussed the possibility of removing Trump from office after his supporters stormed the Capitol, three US news channels reported. The discussions focused on the 25th amendment to the US Constitution, which allows for a president's removal by the vice president and cabinet if he is judged "unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office." Invoking it would require Vice President Michael Pence to lead the cabinet in a vote on removing him.

The Senate has overwhelmingly turned aside a challenge to US President-elect Joe Biden's victory in Arizona, guaranteeing the result will stand. The objection to the results in Arizona- spearheaded by Rep. Paul Gosar and Sen. Ted Cruz -- was rejected 93-6 on Wednesday night. All votes in favour came from Republicans, but after violent protesters mobbed the Capitol earlier Wednesday a number of GOP senators who had planned to support the objection reversed course.

"Laura and I are watching the scenes of mayhem unfolding at the seat of our nation's government in disbelief and dismay. It is a sickening and heartbreaking sight. This is how election results are disputed in a banana republic, not our democratic republic," the former President said in a statement. Bush, not mentioning anyone's name, lambasted "some political leaders" for their behaviour since the election, saying "I am appalled by the reckless behaviour of some political leaders since the election and by the lack of respect shown today for our institutions, our traditions, and our law enforcement."