US Congress certifies Trump’s presidential victory

With the Capitol sealed off and Washington blanketed in snow, the U.S. Congress on Monday officially certified Donald Trump’s victory in the November 5 presidential election. In stark contrast to four years ago — when a violent mob stormed the halls of legislative power in response to Trump’s refusal to concede defeat to Joe Biden — Monday’s proceedings unfolded as a routine affair. The only “violence” witnessed was children gleefully hurling snowballs during the capital’s first major snowfall of the winter.

Trump will assume office on January 20 and has pledged mass pardons for those prosecuted for the 2021 Capitol attack. Meanwhile, President Biden has urged Americans to remember the events of January 6, emphasizing the need to reflect on the lessons of that day.

The joint session of the Senate and the House of Representatives convened to count the electoral votes from the states, completing the process of electing the President of the United States under the country’s Electoral College system. Trump, who secured victory with a 2.3 million lead in the popular vote, garnered 312 votes in the Electoral College, compared to Kamala Harris’s 226.

In a bitter twist, Harris, the Vice President of the United States, presided over the session that certified her rival’s victory — a moment reminiscent of Al Gore’s experience against George W. Bush in 2001.

Sharing the dais with Harris was Mike Johnson, the newly elected Speaker of the House of Representatives. Meanwhile, much of the attention on the floor was directed toward Senator J.D. Vance, the vice president-elect.

Ceremonially, ushers carried the electoral votes into the designated mahogany boxes for the occasion. Following the alphabetical order of states, the members of Congress responsible for the task declared the electoral votes “regular in form and authentic” before announcing the candidate to whom each vote corresponded. Republicans applauded votes for Trump and Vance, while Democrats cheered for Harris and Tim Walz. Unlike the events of four years ago, no objections were raised, and the entire process concluded smoothly in about half an hour.

Meanwhile, Biden reflected on the events of January 6, 2021, in an op-ed published Monday in The Washington Post. He noted that, for much of American history, this procedure had been considered routine. “After what we all witnessed on Jan. 6, 2021, we know we can never again take it for granted. Violent insurrectionists attacked the Capitol, threatened the lives of elected officials and assaulted brave law enforcement officers.” he recalled.

“We should be proud that our democracy withstood this assault. And we should be glad we will not see such a shameful attack again this year,” the op-ed continued. “But we should not forget. We must remember the wisdom of the adage that any nation that forgets its past is doomed to repeat it. We cannot accept a repeat of what occurred four years ago.”

President Biden condemned what he describes as “an unrelenting effort [..,] to rewrite — even erase — the history of that day.” “To tell us we didn’t see what we all saw with our own eyes. To dismiss concerns about it as some kind of partisan obsession. To explain it away as a protest that just got out of hand. This is not what happened,” he said in the op-ed. “We cannot allow the truth to be lost.”

“We should commit to remembering Jan. 6, 2021, every year. To remember it as a day when our democracy was put to the test and prevailed. To remember that democracy — even in America — is never guaranteed,” said Biden. “Four years later, leaving office, I am determined to do everything I can to respect the peaceful transfer of power and restore the traditions we have long respected in America.”

Biden also said that he has invited Trump to the White House on the morning of January 20 and that he will be present at Trump’s inauguration that day. Despite these gestures of civility, the relationship between the two political rivals leaves much to be desired. Trump sharply criticized Biden on his social media platform, Truth Social, arguing: “Biden is doing everything possible to make the TRANSITION as difficult 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.”

Sentence for 34 charges

By referencing “lawfare,” Trump was likely alluding to his upcoming sentencing next Friday for 34 counts of falsifying accounting records, checks, and invoices — a case in which a jury found him guilty last May. His lawyers have requested the hearing be suspended and announced plans to appeal the judge’s decision to proceed with sentencing.

As for the “Green New Scam,” Trump was referring to President Biden’s decision, issued on Monday, to ban hydrocarbon exploration and production along U.S. coasts.

Biden has enacted protections for offshore areas along the East and West Coasts, the eastern Gulf of Mexico, and portions of Alaska’s northern Bering Sea, shielding them from future oil and natural gas drilling. The president claims his decision is supported by coastal communities, who are aware that offshore drilling could cause irreversible environmental damage.

The orders do not impact the vast sections of the Gulf of Mexico, where the majority of U.S. offshore drilling takes place, but they safeguard the coasts of California, Florida, and other states from future drilling projects.

Trump, who has pledged to loosen environmental regulations for oil and gas production, has vowed to repeal these executive orders. However, current law provides no direct presidential mechanism to reverse such protections. Undoing them would require legislative action in Congress, where Republicans hold a narrow majority.

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