US Congress certifies Trump election victory for Jan. 20 inauguration

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The official certification of the election results took place on Monday, with a brief and formal ceremony being conducted before both the House of Representatives and the Senate, held in a joint session. This event was overseen by Kamala Harris, acting in her position as president of the Senate by virtue of her role as vice president, while presiding.

The quadrennial event presented a stark contrast to the 2021 insurrection when a group of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol in a violent attempt to prevent then-President Trump's 2020 election loss to Democratic President Joe Biden from being certified.

Donald Trump has continued to falsely state that his 2020 loss was the result of widespread voter fraud and had consistently made similar claims during his 2024 campaign up until his loss to Harris on November 5th.

"Heartfelt thanks to Congress for officially recognizing our remarkable election win - a truly historic moment. America's real again!" was posted by Trump on his social media platform Truth Social on Monday.

The joint session of Congress took place, despite a severe winter storm that had blanketed the nation's capital with approximately six inches of snow, causing travel disruptions.

The official certification confirmed the initial results, showing Trump had secured 312 Electoral College votes to Harris's 226.

The Republican party holds control over both the White House and Congress in the US federal government.

In the November election, Republicans gained control of the U.S. Senate and maintained a slim lead in the House, setting the stage for President Trump to press forward with his policy initiatives, including tax reform and stricter immigration laws to deport undocumented immigrants.

While there was significant opposition to the certification of Trump's victory on Monday by Democrats, they did not attempt to block it.

We need to rededicate ourselves to protecting American democracy," U.S. Representative Katherine Clark said in a statement. "As those elected, our primary duty is to uphold the Constitution, always putting the will of the people and the law first.

Security measures were stepped up both inside and outside of the Capitol building in anticipation of the certification event, and were anticipated to stay in effect until Trump's inauguration oath.

The U.S. Capitol grounds were surrounded by metal fences, extending hundreds of yards outward from the Capitol building, and could only be accessed through entry points where uniformed police officers were stationed.

Black police squad vehicles were gathered at the scene, led by a customized 10-wheel mobile command center operated by the police in Baltimore. Reinforcements from the New York City Police Department were also present.

Inside, additional teams of Capitol Police personnel in uniform were verifying identification at access points including doors and subterranean tunnels leading to the House and Senate chambers.

The former President has announced plans to grant pardons to over 1,500 individuals involved in the January 6, 2021, violence at the US Capitol. During the incident, a riotous mob clashed with law enforcement, battering down doors and windows in an attempt to disrupt the certification of Joe Biden's presidential win.

During the January 2021 chaos at the US Capitol, rioters pushed past police barriers, attacking nearly 140 officers and causing over $2.8 million in damage. Several police officers who had been involved in the clashes later took their own lives.

The violent events that took place in 2022 ultimately led to the passage of congressional legislation in the late part of that year, which aimed to put safeguards in place to ensure that the certification process is conducted in a lawful manner.

Several of these changes were made in direct response to the actions taken by Trump preceding and culminating in January 6, 2021. For instance, the new law clarifies that the role of the vice president is largely ceremonial in nature.

Reporting by Richard Cowan in Washington, Editing by Scott Malone, Matthew Lewis, Mark Porter, and Howard Goller