Former Vice President Mike Pence, who had to be evacuated four years ago Monday as rioters stormed the Capitol, welcomed “the return of order and civility” as Congress moved to certify President-elect Trump’s 2024 victory.
“The peaceful transfer of power is the hallmark of our democracy and today, members of both parties in the House and Senate along with the vice president certified the election of our new president and vice president without controversy or objection,” Pence posted on X.
“I also commend the members of the House, Senate and the Vice President who did their duty under the Constitution of the United States, it being particularly admirable that Vice President Harris would preside over the certification of a presidential election that she lost,” he added.
Harris presided on Monday as Congress certified Trump’s November election, where he defeated the vice president 312 electoral votes to 226. There were no objections from Democrats about any of the state results.
The drama-free proceeding stood in stark contrast to four years ago, when pro-Trump rioters violently stormed the Capitol to try and stop the certification of President Biden’s victory. The mayhem came after Trump spent weeks falsely claiming the results were fraudulent and pressuring Pence to reject them.
Pence has repeatedly said he did not have the authority to reject the results and previously argued that Trump’s pressure campaign made him unfit to serve another term.
