United States Congress on Monday officially certified Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential victory, marking a stark contrast to the events of four years ago when the Capitol was stormed by a mob attempting to overturn his 2020 defeat.
This time, the proceedings were calm, even as Washington faced a citywide snow emergency.
Vice President Kamala Harris, overseeing the certification of her own electoral loss, reflected on the importance of democratic principles.
“Democracy must be upheld by the people,” Harris stated in an interview with NBC News prior to the session.
The ceremony unfolded methodically, with state electoral votes being tallied one by one. Vice President-elect JD Vance, an Ohio senator, observed from the front row as the results were read aloud.
Standing beside Harris at the lectern was Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican who had once supported objections to Joe Biden’s 2020 certification.
“Donald J. Trump of the state of FL has received 312 votes,” Harris announced, pausing as applause filled the chamber. “Kamala D. Harris of the state of California has received 226 votes.”
In sharp contrast to 2020, when 147 Republicans voted to reject Biden’s win without evidence of fraud, Democrats chose not to disrupt the process.
Instead, they sought to restore Jan. 6 as an uneventful day of democratic procedure.
“January 6th should be an unremarkable day. This is a day that the rest of America should never have to really think about it,” commented Senator Andy Kim of New Jersey. “Just a pro forma certification of the election results. The fact that it still lingers in our consciousness shows just how broken our politics are.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries emphasized the significance of maintaining decorum during the event.
“Two months ago, the American people elected Donald Trump as the 47th president of the United States of America,” Jeffries said, prompting applause from Republicans. “There are no election deniers on our side of the aisle. One should love America when you win and when you lose.”
Jeffries’ remarks underscored a commitment to unity, adding, “America is bigger than any one campaign, any one election or any one individual.”
Vice President Harris, who conceded her defeat, had previously visited Capitol Hill to swear in new senators ahead of presiding over the certification.
The process unfolded under heightened security measures, with temporary fencing erected around the Capitol. Capitol Police Chief Thomas Manger confirmed that the fencing would remain in place through Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20, as part of a “national special security event.”
Unlike 2021, when Trump rallied supporters to contest the certification, no major protests were anticipated. Speaker Johnson assured that even with the heavy snowfall, Congress would meet its constitutional duty.
“Whether we’re in a blizzard or not, we’re going to be in that chamber making sure this is done,” he told Fox News.
Legislation passed in late 2022 further ensured the integrity of the process, including clarifications on the vice president’s ceremonial role and raising the threshold for objections to electoral votes. These reforms aimed to prevent any repetition of the chaos of Jan. 6, 2021.
As the session concluded without incident, the day served as a reminder of the importance of safeguarding democratic institutions, even amid the backdrop of political and natural storms.
