Kamala Harris has been forced to declare her own defeat after certifying Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 Presidential Election during a swift and peaceful congressional session lasting less than 30 minutes.
The Vice President, who lost to Trump in November’s election, announced the final electoral vote tally of 312 for Trump and just 226 for herself.
The certification took place under tight national security, with Trump’s running-mate JD Vance also being confirmed as Vice President-elect.
Cheers erupted from Republican lawmakers in the chamber as Harris announced the results, while she maintained a tight smile during the proceedings.
Kamala Harris declares the 2024 US Presidential Election result
REUTERS
“The chair declares this joint session dissolved,” Harris said.
The peaceful certification stood in stark contrast to the violent scenes of January 2021, when Trump supporters stormed Capitol Hill in an attempt to block the democratic process.
Five people died in the aftermath of the 2021 riots, including a Trump supporter shot by Capitol police and officer Brian Sicknick, who was attacked during the response but later died of natural causes.
Four police officers who responded to the Capitol riots took their own lives in the months that followed.
The heightened security measures for this year’s certification reflected the lessons learned from those tragic events.
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Pro-Trump protesters had stormed the Capitol Building on January 6, 2021GettyHarris now joins a select group of Vice Presidents who have overseen the certification of their own electoral defeat.
Before the certification, she described her role as a “sacred obligation” to ensure the peaceful transfer of power.
“As we have seen, our democracy can be fragile,” Harris said in a video message released earlier in the day.
She added: “It is up to each of us to stand up for our most cherished principles.”
Donald TrumpREUTERSThe Vice President’s solemn remarks reflected the weight of her constitutional duty in maintaining democratic traditions.
Trump celebrated the certification on his Truth Social platform, writing: “Congress certifies our great election victory today – a big moment in history. MAGA!”
The President-Elect has indicated plans to pardon some of the more than 1,500 individuals charged in connection with the January 6, 2021 Capitol assault.
Trump, 78, will return to the Oval Office for his second term following his inauguration on January 20.