By William M. Arkin
Newsweek
December 16, 2021
In this daily series, Newsweek explores the steps that led to the January 6 Capitol Riot.
On December 15, the day after the Electoral College affirmed Joe Biden as the next president, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky quietly told White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows that he planned to acknowledge that former Vice President Biden had won the presidency. That was before he had an epic conversation with Donald Trump.