Congress Certifies Trump’s 2024 Victory Without Jan. 6 Chaos

Congress certified President-elect Donald Trump‘s 2024 election victory on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, in a peaceful session overseen by Vice President Kamala Harris. The proceedings stood in stark contrast to the violent Capitol riot four years earlier, when Trump supporters stormed the building in an attempt to overturn the 2020 election results.

Under heavy security and amid a winter snowstorm, lawmakers convened to confirm the Electoral College votes, affirming Trump’s 312 electoral votes to Harris’ 226. The process concluded swiftly and without objections, marking a return to the tradition of peaceful transitions of power. Harris, who presided over the session, acknowledged her own defeat, stating, “Today, America’s democracy stood.”

The certification took place exactly four years after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack, which left five people dead and hundreds injured. This year, the Capitol was fortified with tall black fences, a reminder of the violence that unfolded when Trump falsely claimed the 2020 election was stolen. Despite Trump’s continued denial of his 2020 loss and his praise for the rioters, this year’s proceedings were marked by order and civility.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate leaders from both parties participated in the joint session. Harris handed the certification for Virginia to Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., who read the results aloud. The chamber erupted in applause as the tally was announced, with Republicans cheering Trump’s victory and Democrats applauding Harris’ efforts.

Vice President-elect JD Vance, a former senator, joined his colleagues in the front row and was congratulated by Republicans after the certification. The event concluded within half an hour, a sharp departure from the hours-long chaos of 2021.

Changes to the Electoral Count Act, enacted after the 2021 riot, required one-fifth of lawmakers to raise objections to election results, but none were filed. Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., who led the 2021 challenge, noted that Trump’s decisive win this time stifled most claims of fraud. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries emphasized that Democrats accepted the election results, stating, “There are no election deniers on our side of the aisle.”

Harris reflected on the significance of the day, calling it “about what should be the norm and what the American people should be able to take for granted, which is one of the most important pillars of our democracy: the peaceful transfer of power.”

In 2021, far-right militias and Trump supporters breached the Capitol, leading to widespread violence and multiple convictions. Trump was impeached for inciting the insurrection but was acquitted by the Senate. Federal prosecutors later issued an indictment against Trump for efforts to overturn the 2020 election, but the case was withdrawn after his 2024 victory.

Outgoing President Joe Biden awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., and former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., for their work on the Jan. 6 investigation committee. Trump has criticized the committee, calling its members “traitors.”

As the nation moves forward, the events of Jan. 6, 2021, remain a jarring reminder of the fragility of democracy. Harris’ role in certifying her own defeat underscored the resilience of American institutions, even as questions linger about the future of electoral integrity and political polarization.