By confirming Trump's victory in the election, Kamala Harris made Jan. 6 principle and

For two centuries, the verification of US presidential election results has been little more than a ceremonial rubber stamp for Congress.

The media ignored the date of the official electoral college count, a routine step on the way to the inauguration of a new president.

It's hard to imagine that most Americans gave the event more than a passing thought before Jan. 6, 2021, when riots — fueled by Donald Trump and his baseless allegations that the election was rigged — filled the Capitol. trying to stop counting.

The US may no longer have the luxury of insulting Jan. 6.

But on Monday, vice president Kamala Harris quietly presided over a ceremony to confirm the victory of Trump, his Republican rival in the 2024 election. Harris announced Trump's electoral college vote of 312 to 226, the applause of Congress.

Just four years ago, vice president Mike Pence had to be rushed from the Senate floor to safety., after admitting that his boss, Trump, had lost that election, while a crowd outside the Capitol chanted “Hang Mike Pence!”

The difference between the two dates could not be more stark.

“I welcome the return of order and respect to these historic proceedings,” Pence said said Monday at X.

'Democracy can be fragile'

In a video message released Monday morning, Harris described his role in the certification as a “sacred obligation” to ensure a peaceful transfer of power.

“As we have seen, our democracy can be fragile,” he said. “And it's up to each of us to stand up for our values ​​that we hold dear.”

Four years after the protest that threatened to change the results of a free and fair election, it remains unclear how the American people will view the events of Jan. 6, 2021, as Trump takes office and time is running out.

President Joe Biden urges the people of the US not to pretend that what happened that day did not happen.

“There has been a relentless effort to rewrite — even erase — the history of that day,” Biden said in a statement. published in the Washington Post.

“We will not allow the truth to be discarded,” he added.

“Thousands of rioters crossed the National Mall and climbed the walls of the Capitol, smashed windows and kicked in doors,” Biden continued. “Law enforcement officers were beaten, dragged, knocked unconscious and trampled.”

Trump is here promising to forgive “a large part” of those convicted of their role in the riot, likely as soon as his first day in office, on 20 Jan.

The incoming president has not clearly stated which crimes he is willing to pardon. Still, Trump's promise complicates the nearly 300 prosecutions related to Jan. 6 still to be done in the courts.

About 1,000 of those arrested have pleaded guilty but now, emboldened by Trump's return to the Oval Office, the suspects have no incentive to strike a deal with prosecutors.

Some political analysts take the view that the Electoral College count has now permanently moved from a symbolic day to a meaningful one.

“Most importantly, Trump will send a message over the years that a president who refuses to accept the result of a free and fair election and encourages attacks on the Capitol can get away with it – and regain power,” wrote Stephen Collinsonsenior political correspondent for CNN.

Veteran Republican strategist David Frum wrote in the Atlantic: “Almost every institution in American society and most of its wealthiest and most influential citizens will find a way to make peace with Trump's actions on January 6, 2021.”

That day was “a striking and appalling example of the weakness of our constitutional system,” writes author Jonathan Alter in the New York Times. “The outlook for the future of Jan. 6 will depend not only on the facts but also on who wins the next election.”

There are signs that it may be a long time before the electoral college certification goes back forever to being a ho-hum event that everyone ignores.

WATCH | The electoral college count has been declared a 'special national security event':

Security tightens for Trump's certificate, Carter's funeral after New Orleans attack

The New Orleans truck attack has tightened security for upcoming events in Washington, including the inauguration of US president Donald Trump and the state funeral of former US president Jimmy Carter.

Back in September, before election day, the Department of Homeland Security announced to count a special national security eventfirst time that happened.

As a result, security around the Capitol was reinforced before Monday's joint session of Congress, regardless of whether anyone expected a repeat of what happened four years ago.

Crews installed thousands of two-foot-tall fence panels strung together along the National Mall, clearly marked with “Police Line Do Not Cross” signs and all Washington police officers were called to the job.

Inside the Capitol, Senate Majority Leader John Thune congratulated Trump and set the stage for the Republican-controlled Congress to move forward with the incoming administration.

“Now the work is starting to deliver on our agenda, and Mr. President, the Republicans are ready to go,” he said.