Washington: The US Congress on Monday certified President-elect Donald Trump’s victory in the November 2024 election, peacefully wrapping up a ritual his supporters had tried to prevent in 2021 in the misleading belief that he had been cheated of a win.
Vice-President Kamala Harris presided over the process on a snowy day that amounted essentially to certifying her own defeat to Trump as the Democratic Party nominee.
“The whole number of the electors appointed to vote for President of the United States is 538 within that whole number, the majority is 270,” Harris said ending the proceedings.
“The votes for President of the United States are as follows. Donald J Trump of the State of Florida has received 312 votes. Kamala D. Harris of the State of California has received 226 votes. The number of electors appointed to vote for Vice-President of the United States is 538 within that whole number, a majority is 270. The votes for Vice-President of the United States are as follows: JD Vance of the State of Ohio has received 312 votes.”
“This announcement of the state of the vote by the President of the Senate shall be deemed a sufficient declaration of the persons elected President and Vice-President of the United States each for a term beginning on the 20th day of January 2025, and shall be entered together with the list of the votes on the journals of the House and the Senate, thank you very much.”
This day four years ago, Trump’s supporters marched on to the US Capitol, home to both chambers of the Congress, as lawmakers gathered to certify Joe Biden’s election as President, comfortably beating the then sitting President. They wanted to stop that process. Rioters had a run of the place as lawmakers took shelter wherever they could. Five people died in the immediate aftermath, one of them was shot by police and other died of other causes.
President-elect Trump had then disregarded other small and major practices that have become a part of the transition. He did not invite Biden to the White House as outgoing Presidents do — as had President Barack Obama, his predecessor, and President Biden as his predecessor for the second term. He had also left town for Mar-a-Lago in Florida without attending Biden’s inauguration ceremony.
Trump never publicly acknowledged his defeat.
Trump made no mention of the event to unfold shortly in US Congress in a post on Truth Social, his social media platform, “Biden is doing everything possible to make the TRANSITION as difficult as as possible, from Lawfare such as has never been seen before, to costly and ridiculous Executive Orders on the Green New Scam and other money wasting Hoaxes. Fear not, these “Orders” will all be terminated shortly, and we will become a Nation of Common Sense and Strength. MAGA!!!”
President-elect Trump will be administered the oath of office on January 20 and President Biden has said he intends to attend the ceremony.
–IANS