This year, President Biden underscored the significance of America’s fundamental principle of a peaceful transfer of power while cautioning the nation to always remember the events of 2021. In an op-ed published by the Washington Post on a late Sunday, Biden expressed pride in the resilience of democracy against the assault it faced, stating, “We should be proud that our democracy withstood this assault.” He further expressed relief that such a disgraceful attack would not recur in the current year.
Vice President Kamala Harris, despite having lost to Trump in the election, assumed the responsibility of overseeing the certification. In a video message shared earlier that Monday, Harris articulated her commitment to fulfilling this duty as a sacred obligation, guided by her love for the country, loyalty to the Constitution, and unwavering faith in the American people.
Speaker Mike Johnson, recently re-elected with assistance from Trump to lead the House for a second term, alongside Vice President Harris, convened the chamber shortly after 1 p.m. ET following the procession of ballots and senators through the Capitol. Harris proceeded to open and present the votes from each state to the House tellers, who then announced the results aloud. Unlike the previous year, no objections to the results were anticipated. Harris had conceded to Trump the day after the Election Day, and no Democrats had contested the outcome, in contrast to many of Trump’s Republican allies in 2020.
Donald Trump, in anticipation of the certification process, shared on his social media platform that it would mark “A BIG MOMENT IN HISTORY. MAGA!” The upcoming inauguration of the president-elect was scheduled for Monday, January 20th.
Trump secured 312 Electoral College votes, surpassing Harris’ 226. He interpreted his victory as a “mandate” from the American people to enact his agenda concerning the economy, immigration, and other matters. With Republicans in control of both the House and Senate, he is set to return to the White House. The 119th Congress was sworn in the previous Friday.
The session of Congress convened to certify Trump’s 2024 election triumph, as detailed on abcnews.go.com.
