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 The PUNCH.
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.
