Ahead of his upcoming inauguration, the U.S. Congress officially certified President-elect Donald Trump on Monday, officially cementing his win over Vice President Harris in the 2024 election, with no objections from any lawmakers as a tally of states was read on the House floor.
Lawmakers gathered under heavy security to certify the results, Trump captured the presidency with 312 electoral votes to Harris’s 226 — a total that was confirmed during the certification on Monday, marking the final step in the election process before Trump formally takes back the White House on Jan. 20.
The certification process was brief and without incident, it was completed in under 30 minutes.
Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump’s Democratic rival in the race, who presided over the proceedings in her official capacity, announced the electoral tally.
“Today I did what I have done my entire career,” she said. “I do believe very strongly that America’s democracy is only as strong as our willingness to fight for it. Today, America’s democracy stood.”
Republicans gave a standing ovation in the chamber when Harris announced Trump’s victory was now certified. A bipartisan standing ovation broke out in the House chamber after Harris declared the joint session of Congress dissolved.
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A number of lawmakers aided in the count, including Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) and Reps. Bryan Steil (R-Wis.) and Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.). Vice President-elect JD Vance was also seated in the chamber during the count, The Hill reports.
In contrast to the violence that marred the January 6, 2021, certification when Mr Trump supporters stormed the Capitol to try and halt the certification of President Biden’s victory over Trump, who had spent weeks pushing false claims that the 2020 election was fraudulent.
In a post on Truth Social, Mr Trump said “Congress certifies our great election victory today— a big moment in history. MAGA!”
Harris, speaking after the certification, emphasized the fragility of democracy and the importance of collective effort to protect it.
“As we have seen, our democracy can be fragile,” Harris said. “And it is up to each of us to stand up for our most cherished principles.”
“America’s democracy is only as strong as our willingness to fight for it,” she stated.
She hailed the “peaceful transfer of power” as a bedrock of U.S. democracy, calling her duty a “sacred obligation.”
