The United States Congress has officially certified Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential election, clearing the way for his return to the White House on January 20, 2025.
The certification, which took place during a joint session of Congress on Monday, marked the final step in validating the Electoral College results from November’s election.
According to Al-Jazeera, Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump’s Democratic rival in the race, oversaw the proceedings.
The ceremony was brief and without incident, a stark contrast to the events of January 6, 2021, when a violent attack on the Capitol disrupted the certification of Trump’s defeat in the 2020 election.
In her remarks following the session, Harris underscored the importance of peaceful transitions of power.
“Today was a very important day.
“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,” she said.
The certification officially confirms Trump’s victory with 312 Electoral College votes compared to Harris’s 226. Trump also became the first Republican presidential candidate to win the popular vote since 2004.
The ceremony followed a contentious campaign season, but Monday’s proceedings unfolded without significant challenges.
Trump celebrated the certification on his social media platform, Truth Social, calling it “a big moment in history.”
Trump’s victory not only secures his return to the presidency but also delivers control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate to the Republican Party.
Many Republicans have embraced Trump’s disputed claims about the 2020 election, which were at the center of legal battles and investigations during his post-presidency.
In the aftermath of the 2020 election, Trump faced multiple legal challenges for his alleged attempts to overturn the results.
While a federal case in Washington, DC, was recently dismissed, a state case in Georgia remains unresolved.
Despite these controversies, Trump’s 2024 campaign has been described as his most successful to date, securing both the presidency and significant congressional victories.
Harris, speaking after the certification, emphasised the fragility of democracy and the importance of collective effort to protect it.
“America’s democracy is only as strong as our willingness to fight for it,” she stated.
