In a stunning political resurgence, Donald Trump was officially certified as the 47th President of the United States on Monday, marking a dramatic reversal from four years ago when his presidency ended amid chaos and controversy.
The certification by Congress proceeded smoothly, even as a winter storm blanketed Washington, D.C., in snow. This was in stark contrast to the violent January 6, 2021, Capitol attack, when a mob of Trump’s supporters attempted to stop the certification of Joe Biden’s victory.
“Donald J. Trump of the state of Florida has received 312 votes. Kamala D. Harris of the state of California has received 226 votes,” Harris declared to lawmakers after the electoral count was completed. As vice president, Harris oversaw the certification process, officially confirming Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance as the winners of the November election.
“The official count shall be deemed a sufficient declaration for Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance to take their oaths of office on January 20,” Harris stated.
Trump’s return to office effectively ended ongoing legal efforts related to the 2021 Capitol riot. Prosecutors had pursued charges against Trump for allegedly leading a conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election but dropped all charges following his election victory.
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The former president has pledged to pardon an unspecified number of individuals charged in connection with the Capitol attack, calling the rioters “hostages.” Approximately 900 individuals have faced federal charges for crimes ranging from trespassing to assaulting police officers.
In an op-ed for *The Washington Post*, outgoing President Joe Biden criticized Trump’s allies for minimizing the violence of January 6, 2021, and urged Americans to remain vigilant in protecting democracy.
“We cannot accept a repeat of what occurred four years ago,” Biden wrote. “An unrelenting effort has been underway to rewrite—even erase—the history of that day.”
Biden’s statement reflects lingering divisions over the Capitol riot, which left four people dead during the attack and four police officers dead by suicide in the aftermath.
Unlike the contentious events of 2021, this year’s certification faced no objections. Democratic lawmakers did not challenge Trump’s victory, and the process was completed in under 30 minutes.
“Four years ago today, our nation watched in horror as a terrorist mob stormed the Capitol grounds and desecrated our temple of democracy,” former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement. “The January 6th insurrection shook our Republic to its core and left behind physical scars and emotional trauma on members of our congressional community and our country that endure to this day.”
The certification was designated a national security special event for the first time, with 500 National Guard personnel on standby. Despite heightened security, the day remained peaceful.
The smooth certification officially begins the two-week countdown to Trump’s January 20 inauguration, where he will return to the White House after one of the most contentious chapters in American political history.