US Parliament: Congress officially confirms Trump’s victory in the presidential election

The US Congress has officially confirmed Republican Donald Trump’s victory in the presidential election. Incumbent Vice President Kamala Harris, who ran against Trump in the election, announced the official final result in a joint session of both houses of parliament.

In her role as Senate President, Harris, the election loser, was given the task of leading the formal procedure. The certification of the election result in Parliament was the last major milestone before Trump’s swearing in on January 20th.

The horror four years ago

What is usually a post-election formality escalated into an excess of violence by angry Trump supporters four years ago. At the time, Trump spoke of massive election fraud and thereby incited his supporters. He still does not acknowledge his defeat in the 2020 presidential election against Democrat Joe Biden, although there is no evidence to support his claims of election fraud.

On January 6, 2021, when Biden’s election victory was about to be confirmed in Parliament, rioters broke through security barricades at the Capitol in droves and smashed windows during the current parliamentary session – fueled by a speech by Trump. They forced their way into meeting rooms and offices and brutally beat security forces. Police officers tried desperately to defend themselves against the overwhelming force of the intruders. Deputies had to run to safety from the attackers. As a result of the riots, five people died.

The unprecedented outbreak of violence is seared into America’s collective memory, and the shadow of that attack continued to hang over the proceedings in Parliament. The fact that the very man who, as president at the time, used all means to rebel against his election defeat and was partly responsible for the attack on US democracy, will move back into the White House in a few days is met with incomprehension by many Americans. Many others in the country, on the other hand, are staunch supporters of Trump and will forgive him for breaking any taboo.

Meeting without incident

This time, however, there was no one who publicly questioned the conduct of the election and its outcome. There were therefore no delays, objections or disruptive actions during the session in Parliament. For the Democrats, the aftermath of the recent election is an opportunity to present themselves as a counterpoint to the Republicans: to prove that they are good losers, that they trust and recognize the democratic process.

In the USA, the president is indirectly elected by the people. The voters’ votes determine the composition of the electoral college, which then elects the president in December. Each state has a certain number of votes to cast in the 538-member body of electors. To win, a candidate does not need the highest absolute number of votes, but rather the majority of the 538 voters – i.e. at least 270.

In the election at the beginning of November, Trump clearly prevailed and secured 312 electoral votes, Harris received 226. The results from the individual states were read out and counted in the congressional session – quickly and without incident. In the end, Harris announced the final result, making Trump’s election victory – and her own election defeat – official.

The meeting took place under great security precautions. The area around the Capitol was surrounded by barriers, police patrolled, entrances were locked, elevators were blocked. A snowstorm had also blanketed the US capital in white overnight, adding to the quiet heaviness. Parts of Washington were paralyzed, and the parliament building was also surrounded by thick snow.

Trump wants to pardon former attackers

Right there, in front of the Capitol, Trump will be ceremoniously sworn in as president in two weeks. During his election campaign, he promised to issue a large-scale pardon on his first day in office for supporters who took part in the violent storming of the Capitol and were convicted as a result. Trump calls them “political prisoners.”

The Democrats warn against a reinterpretation of the events of January 6, 2021 and against forgetting – driven by Trump as president. Any nation that forgets the past is doomed to repeat it. “We cannot accept a repeat of what happened four years ago,” Biden wrote in the Washington Post. Trump repeatedly said during the election campaign that January 6, 2021 was a “day of love”.