Paradoxically, Trump was certified peacefully by the same democracy that he tried to subvert four years ago, when a crowd of his followers stormed the legislative headquarters to prevent the validation of Democrat Joe Biden’s victory in the November 2020 elections on January 6, 2021.
In Monday’s session, each of the Electoral College votes were counted and certified and the result was announced by Vice President Kamala Harris in her capacity as president of the Senate.
During a ceremony that was not delayed, Harris, by ratifying Trump’s victory (312 Electoral College votes), confirmed her own defeat as a Democratic candidate (226 votes) in the 2024 elections.
The atmosphere is calm. Security in Washington DC has been increased in anticipation of high-profile events in the coming days, such as the certification of the votes.
A request from Mayor Muriel Bowser, approved in September, allowed the use of resources from the federal government, as well as from state and local partners, in a comprehensive security plan, with the Secret Service as the lead agency.
According to reports, the District of Columbia police have been fully active since Sunday morning and have mobilized nearly four thousand additional officers from around the country to help with surveillance of the planned events. In addition, drones will be active. Before the Congress session, the head of the federal Capitol Police, Tom Manger, told reporters that they have “more personnel, better training, better equipment than ever before, to protect our Capitol and protect our Congress.”
“The legislative process will proceed without interruption and our government will have a peaceful transfer of power,” Manger stressed, quoted by CNN.
A report by the television station indicated that the Capitol Police completed more than 100 recommendations made by its inspector general after the 2021 attack, including increasing its staffing, training and creating a new intelligence operation.
Here, the Capitol is seen from afar, fences were installed around a perimeter that covered beyond the office buildings on either side of the complex.
January 6, 2021, was recorded in the pages of American history as the day of the worst attack on the heart of democracy in this country. The violence left five dead and more than 140 police officers injured.
ef/oda/dfm
