Congress was set to collect Monday to certify President-elect Trump’s election win, 4 years to the day after 1000’s of his supporters stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Lawmakers had been anticipated to courageous a nasty snowstorm to satisfy beneath tight safety to rubber stamp Trump’s comeback and ship the as soon as and future commander-in-chief again to the White Home in two week’s time.
No violence or protests are anticipated this time, precisely 4 years after Trump supporters and allies launched a violent effort to derail President Biden’s election victory.
It stays to be seen if any lawmakers will increase any gentle procedural protests as some legislators had carried out in previous presidential votes.
However not like MAGA’s offended rebellion after the 2020 vote, Democratic leaders broadly settle for the selection of the American folks mirrored by Trump’s 312-226 electoral school victory and even a slim in style vote win within the November vote.
Crews work earlier than daybreak to clear snow from the steps on the East Entrance of the U.S. Capitol as a winter storm slams into the nation’s capital on January 06, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Pictures)
The day’s return to the standard peaceable switch of presidential energy comes as Trump prepares to take workplace in two weeks with the political wind at his again. Republicans will maintain management of the Senate and Home for a minimum of the following two years, together with a conservative super-majority on the Supreme Courtroom.
The onetime actuality TV star and actual property mogul nonetheless denies that he misplaced to Biden 4 years in the past, calls the assault a “day of love” and vows to pardon some or all the greater than 1,250 individuals who have pleaded responsible or had been convicted of crimes for the Capitol assault.
Regardless of Trump’s huge win, Biden hailed the return to normalcy as a large victory for American democracy.
“We’ve got to get back to the basic, normal transfer of power,” Biden stated Sunday. The Jan. 6 assault “was a genuine threat to democracy,” he added. “I’m hopeful we’re beyond that now.”
Crews work to clear snow from the steps on the East Entrance of the U.S. Capitol as a winter storm impacted the nation’s capital on January 06, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Win McNamee/Getty Pictures)
With pomp and custom, the day was anticipated to unfold on Monday a lot because it did each 4 years earlier than 2021.
Ceremonial mahogany containers full of the electoral certificates from the states will arrive in Congress for routine inspection. Senators will stroll throughout the Capitol to the Home to start certifying the vote.
Vice President Kamala Harris will preside over the counting of the electoral votes because the Structure mandates. She is going to face the duty of overseeing her personal defeat, following within the footsteps of ex-veeps like Democrat Al Gore in 2001 and Republican Richard Nixon in 1961.
All of it couldn’t be extra totally different than the violent and chaotic scene that erupted 4 years in the past when 1000’s of Trump’s extremist supporters overran safety and invaded the citadel of American democracy.
They attacked police and ran roughshod by means of the constructing, some calling for the assassination of then-Vice President Mike Pence, Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi and different perceived enemies of Trump.
Trump did nothing for hours to revive order.
His supporters lastly ended the siege hours later after one protester was shot useless by Capitol police because the mob tried to interrupt into the Home gallery the place terrified lawmakers had been sheltering.
Particular counsel Jack Smith gained an indictment of Trump on prices of in search of to overturn the election. However he dropped the case final month in an acknowledgement {that a} sitting president can’t be criminally prosecuted.
Initially Printed: January 6, 2025 at 11:17 AM EST