Donald Trump is poised to complete his remarkable political comeback today as Congress certifies his election victory, a stark contrast to four years ago when his supporters, incited by his false claims of election fraud, stormed the US Capitol.
Throughout his campaign, Trump faced legal challenges related to the January 6, 2021, insurrection, when a mob of his supporters tried to disrupt the certification of Joe Biden’s victory. Despite this, Trump, now 78, was re-elected in November, and all signs suggest that today’s certification ceremony will proceed without incident, despite a severe winter storm sweeping across the capital and much of the nation.
Trump celebrated the moment on his social media platform, Truth Social, declaring, “Congress certifies our great election victory today — a big moment in history.”
Today’s event also marks the end of efforts to hold Trump accountable for his role in the Capitol riot, which prosecutors had claimed was part of a larger criminal conspiracy. These charges were dropped after Trump’s re-election.
The former president has pledged to pardon many of the rioters, about 900 of whom have pleaded guilty to various federal charges, referring to them as “hostages.”
In a Washington Post op-ed, President Biden condemned Trump’s supporters for downplaying the violence of the January 6 attack and urged Americans to take pride in the survival of democracy. Biden stressed the need to prevent history from repeating itself, stating, “An unrelenting effort has been underway to rewrite — even erase — the history of that day.”
Vice President Kamala Harris will certify the election result today, mirroring the role of her predecessor, Mike Pence, who faced pressure from Trump in 2021 to reject Biden’s win.
While lawmakers have historically challenged election results during the certification process, no such challenges are expected today. In 2021, more than half of House Republicans rejected the results, but this time, no Democratic leaders are following that example.
Trump was impeached for inciting the Capitol riot after delivering a fiery speech urging his supporters to “fight like hell.” The subsequent attack on the Capitol left four people dead, including a rioter shot by police, and led to the suicides of four police officers involved in the response.
Republican Speaker Mike Johnson has vowed to investigate the House committee that concluded Trump instigated the riot. Meanwhile, US Attorney General Merrick Garland noted that over 1,500 people have been charged for their roles in the attack on the Capitol.
The certification, which marks the beginning of a two-week countdown to Trump’s January 20 inauguration, has been designated a national security special event. The National Guard is on standby, and the federal government, along with Washington public schools, has closed due to heavy snowfall.
Nancy Pelosi, former House Speaker during the 2021 insurrection, reflected on the lasting impact of the attack, saying, “The January 6th insurrection shook our Republic to its core — and left behind physical scars and emotional trauma on members of our congressional community and our country that endure to this day.”
