Congress Certifies Election Results of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris Despite Violence at Capitol

Following the chaos caused by Trump supporters outside the Capitol building on Wednesday, Congress still went ahead to certify President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris as the winners of the November elections Thursday morning.

The victory was sealed at exactly 3:32 AM ET after Vermont’s votes got them over the 270 vote threshold. Several minutes later, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were declared the winners of the 2020 election. The few doubts about the results were overridden by news of the violent attacks incited by President Donald Trump the previous day.

Former US President George W. Bush called the violent attack an insurrection and blamed Trump for inciting the attackers. Others have described it as a failed attempt at a coup and an act of domestic terrorism launched on the nation. Some lawmakers have called for the immediate removal of President Trump before January 20th.

President-elect Joe Biden will become the 46th president of the United States of America after a challenging race to the White House since the start of the 2020 elections in November. President Trump stated that he will give way for “an orderly transition” following the certification of Biden’s win. A White House spokesperson said the President “totally disagrees(s) with the outcome of the election, and the facts” nonetheless, he assures that there would be a smooth transition of power on January 20.

On Wednesday morning, news outlets reported that there was an ongoing attack launched on the Capitol building by Trump supporters. The attack was incited by Trump’s dissatisfaction and false statements about the election results. The rioters broke their way past security barricades, broke through the door of the Capitol building, smashed windows, and scaled the walls. They aimed to stall the certification process and possibly overturn Trump’s defeat. Over a dozen House Republicans and 14 Republican senators were also going to object to the election results of some states. All these came to naught as the situation was brought under control. The even only managed to delay the certification process by a few hours but didn’t stop Congress from announcing the results in favor of the Democrats.

According to Police reports, four people died during the riot – one from a gunshot wound and three others from medical emergencies. A total of 52 people were arrested while the others scampered and fled the vicinity.

Chris Cuomo and Don Lemon, on CNN, shared their disagreement with the network’s editorial decision not to show a video recorded of one of the demonstrators shot by the Capitol Police, who later died from the gunshot wounds. The D.C Police said that more than dozens of Police officers were injured during the riot, but all cases were under investigation.

President Trump had no immediate response to the attacks but later said he was proud of his supporters and that they were “special” to him. Many lawmakers have since called for the immediate removal of the President. In a tweet, former President Barack Obama said: “History will rightly remember today’s violence at the Capitol incited by a sitting president who has continued to baselessly lie about the outcome of a lawful election, as a moment of great dishonor and shame for our nation.”