The low-key proceedings contrast with efforts by Trump’s own supporters to overturn his 2020 defeat by storming the U.S. Capitol.
The US Congress has certified Donald Trump’s victory in the November elections. presidential electionclearing one final hurdle in his return to the White House later this month.
Monday’s congressional ceremony officially validated the 2024 Electoral College results.
Overseen by Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump’s main rival in the election, the event unfolded quickly and without fanfare.
“Today was obviously a very important day,” Harris, who is also president of the Senate, said in his subsequent remarks.
“It was about what should be the norm and what the American people should be able to take for granted, which is that one of the most important pillars of our democracy is that there be a peaceful transfer of power .”
This largely procedural affair stood in stark contrast to the last time Congress met to certify the Electoral College votes, the January 6, 2021.
During this ceremony, thousands of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol in an effort to overturn President Trump’s defeat in the 2020 election.
Lawmakers were forced to evacuate as doors were broken, police officers were attacked and a protester was shot while trying to enter a room through a broken window.
The attack came after Trump held a rally nearby on the Ellipse, a park south of the White House, where he repeated false claims that the election was stolen by massive fraud.
Critics strongly condemned the attack, calling it an attack on democracy, and the US Department of Justice has since filed charges. 1,583 participants with federal crimes.
As of Monday, approximately 1,009 people had pleaded guilty, and 327 had pleaded guilty to criminal charges.
Trump himself has faced two criminal charges for his role in trying to overturn the 2020 election results: a federal case in Washington, D.C., was recently dismissed, while a state-level case State in Georgia is stalled but underway.
Nevertheless, four years later, Trump is poised to return to power on the heels of his most successful presidential campaign to date.
In November, Trump won 312 Electoral College votes to Harris’ 226 and became the first Republican candidate to win the poll. popular vote since 2004.
Trump’s Republican Party will also take control of Congress after win majorities in the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Many party members have since agreed with the Republican leader’s false claims about the 2020 election.
“Congress today certifies our great electoral victory – a great moment in history. MAGA! ” Trump wrote Monday on his Truth Social platform, using an acronym for his slogan, “Make America Great Again.”
Harris, meanwhile, called for respect for the principles of American democracy. She cited Monday’s peaceful certification as an example of the right path forward.
“I firmly believe that American democracy is only as strong as our willingness to fight for it,” she said. “Otherwise, it is very fragile and will not be able to withstand moments of crisis.”
