Get a free sticker when you subscribe to our newsletter!
President Trump has officially declared an orderly transition of powers to take place on January 20, following the congressional certification of all electoral votes.
The Trump administration will deliver an orderly transition of power to the Biden administration in two weeks. The declaration follows a strongly contested election with the Trump administration arguing that voter fraud decided the election, claims the Biden administration, most Democrats, and some Republicans dissent. The January 6 proceeding to certify electoral votes was recessed to ensure the safety of members of Congress and their staff as the Capitol building was unexpectedly stormed by rioters, an aggressive move that resulted in one rioter being shot and killed by police. When peace was restored, the proceedings continued and concluded with Vice President Mike Pence rendering a victory to the Biden administration.
In an early Thursday morning decision, Vice President Pence affirmed Biden’s election following a congressional proceeding that certified the electoral votes. The proceeding, which was expected to be peppered with objections from GOP members, was relatively cordial compared to what was planned to be an objection-ridden conference. The lack of objections may be the result of the riots that ensued late Wednesday morning when rogue participants of the Trump March stormed the Capitol building. The riots forced members of the House and Senate to be barricaded in undisclosed locations until peace was restored.
Pence concluded the proceeding at 3:41 a.m.
Following the proceeding, Trump delivered a statement assuring an orderly transition of powers. The statement was released via Twitter by Trump’s social media director, Dan Scavino at 3:50 a.m.
…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!”
— Dan Scavino🇺🇸🦅 (@DanScavino) January 7, 2021
A number of GOP members of the House and Senate planned to object to the electoral certifications, specifically citing Pennsylvania, Arizona, and Georgia as less-than-credible election results that should not be considered on their current merits.
House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., released a Jan. 6 statement on his objection to the electoral certifications:
“The Constitution requires that states carry out elections according to the rules established by state legislatures. In a number of states, that did not happen. We cannot turn a blind eye to states selectively choosing which election laws to follow. Our Founding Fathers gave Congress a critical role to play in certifying the election results and in order to restore confidence in our electoral system, we must stand up for the rule of law … For these reasons, I will vote in favor of objections to the certification of electoral votes from certain states where there have been serious questions about the integrity of the electoral process. It is my sincere hope that the debates that take place later today will be the first step in the necessary process of election reform. Every American deserves to have complete confidence that our elections are free, fair, and secure.”
Scalise later condemned the violence that arose following a Trump March. In his tweet, he referenced the congressional baseball shooting that occurred on June 14, 2017, when a gunman opened fire on GOP members practicing for the annual congressional baseball game. Among those hurt, Scalise suffered the worst injuries, which were described as “critical” and required many surgeries.
United States Capitol Police saved my life.
Attacks on law enforcement officers trying to do their jobs are never acceptable. Period.
We can passionately protest without being violent.
— Steve Scalise (@SteveScalise) January 6, 2021
A 14-year Air Force veteran was shot and killed by police when she, joined with a mob of rioters, stormed the Capitol building. The intrusion forced members of Congress and their staff to relocate and House and Senate buildings were on lockdown for several hours. While tens of thousands attended the Trump march, approximately 100 were involved in the breaching of the Capitol building. Republicans and Democrats alike condemned the violence.
The 2020 election gave reason for both sides of the political aisle to be in a fury. Voter fraud was unquestionably present in this election, with a long list of irregularities. It is reasonable to say that there was much more voter fraud in this election than any other — but to be fair, there were far more votes in this election as well. Whether the fraud made the difference in the election results is up for debate and will certainly be a topic of debate in the years to come.
As far as the riots go, it was shameful and frightening. This behavior does not reflect a reconciliatory method to forward movement. This type of behavior does not reflect the conservatism that the rioters identity with. Thankfully, conservatives responded in droves condemning the illegal and shameful behavior without delay.
