Chicago – January 05, 2025
Four years ago, then-President Donald Trump urged supporters to protest the certification of Joe Biden’s 2020 election win. Weeks before January 6, 2021, Trump tweeted, “Will be wild!”
On that day, after Trump gave a fiery speech near the White House, many supporters stormed the Capitol, attempting to block the final certification of Biden’s victory. Even after the chaos ended, some Republican lawmakers still voted against ratifying Biden’s win, despite no evidence of fraud that could have changed the outcome.
This year, the certification of Trump’s 2024 victory was much calmer. Vice President Kamala Harris, who lost to Trump, acknowledged her defeat and didn’t challenge the results. Democrats also avoided contesting Trump’s win. New laws passed since 2021 clarified the vice president’s role in the certification process, ensuring it is purely ceremonial.
Republicans, who once claimed voter fraud in 2020, had no such concerns this time. However, some observers note the calm could have been different if Harris had won, as Trump allies hinted they might contest her victory. For now, though, election experts say the peaceful certification process is a positive step for democracy.
