USA Congress officially confirms Trump's victory in presidential election
The US Congress has officially confirmed Republican Donald Trump's victory in the presidential election. The incumbent Vice President Kamala Harris, who ran against Trump in the election, announced the official final result in a joint session of both chambers of parliament.
06.01.2025, 20:02
SDA
In her role as Senate President, it was now up to the election loser Harris, of all people, to lead the formal procedure. The certification of the election result in parliament was the last major milestone before Trump's swearing-in on January 20.
The horror four years ago
What is usually a formality after the election escalated into an excess of violence by angry Trump supporters four years ago. At the time, Trump had spoken of massive electoral fraud and 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 electoral fraud.
On January 6, 2021, when Biden's election victory was to be confirmed in parliament, rioters broke through security barricades at the Capitol in droves and smashed windows during the ongoing parliamentary session - fueled by a speech by Trump. They forced their way into meeting rooms and offices and brutally beat security forces. Police officers desperately tried to defend themselves against the overwhelming force of the intruders. Members of parliament had to flee to safety from the attackers. Five people died as a result of the riots.
The unprecedented outbreak of violence is etched in America's collective memory, and the shadow of that attack still hangs over the proceedings in parliament. The fact that the very man who, as president at the time, rebelled against his election defeat by any means necessary and was partly responsible for that attack on US democracy, will return to the White House in a few days' time is met with incomprehension by many Americans. Many others in the country, on the other hand, are staunch supporters of Trump who forgive him any breach of taboo.
Meeting without incident
This time, however, there was no one who publicly questioned the course of the election and its outcome. There were therefore no delays, objections or disruptions during the parliamentary session. For the Democrats, the aftermath of the recent election is an opportunity to present themselves as the antithesis of the Republicans: to prove that they are good losers, trust the democratic process and recognize it.
In the USA, the president is indirectly elected by the people. The votes of the electors decide 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 electoral college. To win, a candidate does not need the highest absolute number of votes, but a majority of the 538 electors - i.e. at least 270.
In the election at the beginning of November, Trump clearly prevailed and secured 312 votes from the electors, while Harris received 226. The results from the individual states were read out and counted in the congressional session - swiftly and without incident. In the end, Harris announced the final result, making Trump's election victory - and her own defeat - official.
The meeting took place under heavy security precautions. The area around the Capitol was surrounded by barriers, police officers patrolled, entrances were locked and elevators were blocked. A snowstorm had also blanketed the US capital in white overnight, adding to the quiet gravity. Parts of Washington were paralyzed, and the seat of parliament was also surrounded by thick masses of snow.
Trump wants to pardon attackers from back then
It is there, in front of the Capitol, that Trump will be ceremonially sworn in as president in two weeks' time. During the election campaign, he promised to pardon supporters who took part in the violent storming of the Capitol and were therefore convicted on his first day in office. Trump refers to them as "political prisoners".
The Democrats warn against reinterpreting 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 had repeatedly said during the election campaign that January 6, 2021 was a "day of love".
