WASHINGTON (AP) – Congress has confirmed Democrat Joe Biden as the presidential election winner, hours after violent protesters loyal to President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol.
Lawmakers resolved to work almost through the night to uphold the will of the voters.
The Capitol was under siege for hours Wednesday, forcing lawmakers into hiding before being evacuated by police.
Earlier, at a huge rally near the White House, the president had urged his supporters to march to Capitol Hill to protest his election defeat.
Early in the certification process,Vice President Mike Pence says he doesn’t have the power to throw out the electoral votes that will make Democrat Joe Biden the next president in two weeks.
The final certification happened around 4AM Eastern.
Watch: Congress finalizes Joe Biden’s election victory over President Trump — despite violent siege and GOP delaying tactics https://t.co/ATABvHneuF pic.twitter.com/7M9XoEtEer
— TIME (@TIME) January 7, 2021
President Donald Trump says there will be an “orderly transition on January 20th” now that Congress has concluded the electoral vote count certifying President-elect Joe Biden’s victory.
Trump issued a statement early Thursday acknowledging his term in office is coming to a close just minutes after Congress certified his loss to Biden.
“Even though I totally disagree with the outcome of the election, and the facts bear me out, nevertheless there will be an orderly transition on January 20th,” Trump said in the statement released overnight after Congress certified his defeat. “I have always said we would continue our fight to ensure that only legal votes were counted. While this represents the end of the greatest first term in presidential history, it’s only the beginning of our fight to Make America Great Again.”
The final action of the presidential election comes after Trump appeared to excuse the violent occupation of the U.S. Capitol by his supporters on Wednesday.
