On Jan. 7, one day after pro-Donald Trump rioters attacked the Capitol, Congress officially certified President-elect and former Vice President Joseph Biden as the winner of the 2020 presidential election. 

Vice President Mike Pence announced Biden and Kamala Harris as the incoming president and vice president, respectively. This comes after months of inaccurate complaints of a fraudulent election by President Donald Trump and many Americans. 

Florida Senator Rick Scott is amongst many other senators who contested the results of the Electoral College count. They planned to object to at least one state’s results, but when the meeting continued after the emergency chamber lockdown, many did not object as they planned. 

Pro-Trump supporters rallied at Ellipse park on Jan 6., near the White House, but eventually moved locations to the Capitol. Protestors outnumbered the security present at the scene and people made their way into the building.

As they marched through Senators offices, many held Confederate flags and lawmakers in the rotunda wore gas masks because rioters released tear gas.

After Pence stated the results for Biden’s votes in Vermont, Biden achieved the 270 electoral votes necessary to become president. 

On Twitter, President Trump encouraged Pence to object to the electoral vote count, and also mentioned that Pence would call the vote straight. Trump’s efforts to continue to prolong the announcement of the new president enraged many people.  

Constitutionally, the vice president must announce the new President once both the Senate and House of Representatives announce their tallies. 

Pence, met with the same phrase recently used by Trump at his rallies, “stop the steal,” continued on to announce the results of the election.

President Trump has since released a statement that he will not attend the inauguration for Biden on Jan. 20, breaking the tradition of a peaceful transition of power.