On Monday, Congress met to count the electoral votes and officially certify Donald Trump’s victory over Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election. Harris, fulfilling her constitutional duty as president of the Senate, presided over the brief joint session, which lasted less than an hour.
This event occurred four years after a violent mob of Trump supporters disrupted the certification process on January 6, 2021, delaying the acknowledgment of Joe Biden’s win in the 2020 election.
After the certification of Trump’s win, Harris, reflecting on her role, stated that overseeing the process was consistent with her career’s commitment to the oath she took. Unlike Trump and many Republicans in 2020, Harris and the Democrats accepted the 2024 election results, and there were no objections to Trump’s victory. The certification was peaceful and swift.
Harris emphasized that Monday’s proceedings represented a return to democratic norms, highlighting the importance of a peaceful transfer of power, which is foundational to American democracy. She stressed that the strength of democracy relies on citizens’ commitment to defending it, and today, democracy prevailed.
