Donald Trump’s victory confirmed by Congress: A calm certification process four years after Capitol riot chaos

Donald Trump completed a remarkable political comeback on Monday (January 6) as Congress certified his election victory, a striking contrast to the chaos of four years ago when a mob, incited by him, stormed the US Capitol.

Trump, 78, who spent much of his campaign facing prosecution for the January 2021 Capitol insurrection—fueled by his baseless voter fraud claims—was elected back into office in November. The certification process went smoothly in Washington.

Vice President Kamala Harris, overseeing the ceremony, declared, "Donald J. Trump of Florida has received 312 votes. Kamala D. Harris of California has received 226 votes." She confirmed that Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance would take their oaths of office on January 20.

The certification marked the end of attempts to hold Trump accountable for his role in the riot. Prosecutors had accused him of orchestrating a criminal conspiracy, but dropped all charges after his election win. Trump has promised to pardon many of the rioters, calling them "hostages."

In a Washington Post op-ed, President Biden condemned Trump’s allies for downplaying the violence of the 2021 insurrection, urging Americans to remember the resilience of democracy. "We cannot accept a repeat of what occurred four years ago," Biden stated.

Unlike in 2021, when then-Vice President Mike Pence faced pressure from Trump to reject Biden’s victory, there were no objections from Democratic leaders during Monday's certification, which took less than 30 minutes.

The Capitol attack—incited by Trump’s inflammatory speech that morning—led to deaths, injuries, and lasting trauma. Trump was impeached for inciting the violence, and four police officers later died by suicide.

As part of the ongoing investigations into the riot, House Speaker Mike Johnson pledged to probe the committee’s findings that Trump had played a central role in the insurrection. Over 1,500 individuals have been charged in connection with the Capitol attack.

Democratic leaders, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, reflected on the lasting impact of the 2021 attack, describing it as a traumatic event that scarred both the nation and lawmakers. "The January 6th insurrection shook our Republic to its core," Pelosi said in a statement.