Kamala Harris announced on Monday, the anniversary of the U.S. Capitol riot, her intention to certify Donald Trump‘s 2024 election victory, calling the duty a “sacred obligation.”
“Today, I will perform my constitutional duty as Vice President to certify the results of the 2024 election. This duty is a sacred obligation—one I will uphold guided by love of country, loyalty to our Constitution, and unwavering faith in the American people,” she said in a video affirming a commitment to the peaceful transfer of power.
Harris is set to become the first presidential candidate since Al Gore to certify a Democrat defeat.
Why It Matters
The results of President-elect Donald Trump victory over Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential November 2024 Election is scheduled for certification at the U.S. Capitol on January 6. No Democratic lawmakers are anticipated to challenge the outcome.
It comes as the nation marks the fourth anniversary of the Capitol riot, when thousands of Trump supporters stormed the building in an attempt to prevent the certification of Biden’s 2020 electoral win. The rioters breached security, gaining access to the House floor and invading the offices of several elected officials, including Speaker Pelosi’s.
At the time, then-Vice President Mike Pence broke with Trump’s wishes by certifying the results.
What To Know
Harris, who was the Democratic presidential nominee for nearly 100 days after President Joe Biden withdrew from the race, will preside over the joint congressional session certifying the results.
Trump was impeached by the House on charges of “incitement of insurrection,” but the Senate did not achieve the necessary two-thirds majority for conviction.
More than 1,500 individuals have been charged in connection with the riot, with over 1,000 convicted and sentenced. Of those sentenced, approximately two-thirds received prison terms ranging from a few days to 22 years.
What People Are Saying
Vice President Kamala Harris said: “The peaceful transfer of power is one of the most fundamental principles of American democracy.
“As much as any other principle, it is what distinguishes our system of government from monarchy or tyranny. Today at the United States Capitol, I will perform my constitutional duty as Vice President of the United States to certify the results of the 2024 election.
“This duty is a sacred obligation, one I will uphold, guided by love of country, loyalty to our Constitution, and my unwavering faith in the American people. As we have seen, our democracy can be fragile, and it is up to each one of us to stand up for our most cherished principles, and to make sure that in America, our government always remains of the people, by the people, and for the people.
“May God bless you, and may God bless the United States of America.”
On the four-year anniversary of the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla, the Democrat from California and a ranking member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration with oversight over federal elections, said:
“Four years ago, insurrectionists stormed our nation’s Capitol in an unprecedented attempt to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power. Incited by the Big Lie — a coordinated campaign led by former President Trump to cast doubt on the outcome of our democratic elections — the deadly January 6th attack remains a stain on American history.”
He added: “Today, Congress will continue America’s historic tradition of ensuring a peaceful transfer of power.”
What Happens Next
Trump is set to be inaugurated on January 20 after the electoral college votes are certified today, January 6.
Today, I will perform my constitutional duty as Vice President to certify the results of the 2024 election. This duty is a sacred obligation — one I will uphold guided by love of country, loyalty to our Constitution, and unwavering faith in the American people. pic.twitter.com/w21HzdNxGs
— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) January 6, 2025
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