Congress counts, certifies Trump’s electoral college victory over Harris

The United States Congress certified Donald Trump’s victory in November’s presidential election that has cleared a last hurdle for his return to the White House this month.

The ceremony held on Monday in Congress had officially validated the 2024 Electoral College results.

Overseen by Vice President Kamala Harris, Donald Trump’s main rival in the election, the event passed quickly and with little fanfare.

“Today was obviously a very important day,” Harris said, who also serves as the president of the Senate, in remarks afterwards.

She further said that it was about what should be the norm and what the American people should be able to take for granted, which is that one of the most important pillars of our democracy is that there will be a peaceful transfer of power.”

The largely procedural affair marked a stark contrast with the last time Congress convened to certify Electoral College votes, on January 6, 2021.

During that ceremony, thousands of Trump’s supporters stormed the US Capitol in an effort to overturn then-President Trump’s defeat in the 2020 election.