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US President Donald Trump promised an “orderly transition” on January 20 after Congress certified Joe Biden’s electoral college victory early Thursday morning after a traumatic day of unrest in the United States Capitol.
In a statement posted on Twitter by Dan Scavino, the White House deputy chief of communications cabinet, which was retweeted by the official White House account, Trump appeared to end two months of uncertainty about his intentions.
“Although I totally disagree with the outcome of the elections and the facts confirm me, nevertheless, there will be an orderly transition on January 20,” he wrote. “I have always said that we would continue our fight to ensure that only legal votes were counted. While this represents the end of the best first term in presidential history, it is just the beginning of our fight to make America great again! “
Trump’s promise to leave office came shortly after Vice President Mike Pence declared that Biden had prevailed in the electoral college, after presiding over a joint session of Congress that was severely disrupted by a mob attack led to carried out by Trump supporters. in the United States Capitol.
Members of the Senate and House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to accept electoral college votes for Biden in both Arizona and Pennsylvania, overriding the objections of several Republican lawmakers who contested the results in the two battle states. The ballots passed without extensive debate in the other 48 US states and the District of Columbia.
Earlier this week, 13 Republican senators were expected to join dozens of members of the GOP House of Representatives in challenging the results in up to six swing states, echoing Trump’s unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud.
But several senators changed their stance Wednesday night after Trump supporters launched an attack on the Capitol complex as lawmakers debated the Arizona returns.
After hours of disruption, Congressional leaders went ahead with the certification process in defiance of the rioters Wednesday night.
“The United States Senate will not be intimidated. We will not be kept out of this chamber by thugs, mobs or threats, ”said Mitch McConnell, Republican Majority Leader in the Senate, after his colleagues returned to the upper house, escorted by members of the National Guard and other forces from the order.
“They tried to disrupt our democracy; they failed, ”he added.
Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic Speaker of the House, wrote in a letter to her colleagues that despite the “shameful assault” on the proceedings, rioters should not be allowed to “dissuade us from our responsibility to validate Joe Biden’s election.” .
Electoral college certification is normally a formality, but it became a politically charged exercise in the face of Trump’s campaign to overthrow the November 3 election results.
In the lead up to Jan.6, there was some uncertainty about Pence’s willingness to declare Biden the winner at the end of the count, but on Wednesday afternoon he said he did not have the power to block certification. The vice president said Mr. Biden prevailed and then turned the floor over to Senate Chaplain Barry Black, who delivered one last fiery prayer on the events that had unfolded in the past 24 hours.
“We deplore the desecration of the United States Capitol building, the shedding of innocent blood, the loss of life and the quagmire of dysfunction that threatens our democracy. . . words matter and the power of life and death is on the tongue, ”he said.
The rioters had stormed the Capitol after a group of Congressional Republicans challenged the votes cast by Arizona, sparking a lengthy debate over Trump’s unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud.
But after the violence that unfolded Wednesday afternoon, which left four dead and several wounded, several lawmakers opposed giving the green light to Biden’s presidency.
Senators Steve Daines of Montana, Kelly Loeffler of Georgia and James Lankford of Oklahoma backed down and said they would drop their opposition to Biden’s election.
The president’s allies, including South Carolina’s Lindsey Graham, said Biden needed to be recognized as the next president and regretted the events on Capitol Hill. “Trump and I had an incredible journey,” Graham said. “I hate it like this. . . But today all I can say is tell myself Enough is enough.”
Others, including Josh Hawley of Missouri, stood firm in their loyalty to the president. “What we are doing here tonight is really very important because for those who have concerns about the integrity of our elections, those who are concerned about what happened in November, this is the appropriate medium,” Hawley said.
He later opposed electoral votes in Pennsylvania, prompting several more hours of debate before being overturned in the early hours of Thursday.
Hawley was fiercely criticized by Mitt Romney, the Utah senator and former Republican presidential nominee, whose scathing response garnered a standing ovation from many Democrats.
“The best way we can show respect for voters who are upset is by telling them the truth,” said Romney. “The truth is that President-elect Biden won the election. President Trump lost. I myself have had that experience. It’s not fun. “
