Who will certify Donald Trump’s presidential win? Kamala Harris, that’s who

By COLLEEN LONG

WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump’s presidential triumph is going to beryllium certified successful Congress successful January by the campaigner helium beat, Vice President Kamala Harris.

Under the Constitution, the vice president is the caput of the Senate, and it’s the relation of the Senate president to state the effect of a White House election.

That happens Jan. 6.

Under mean circumstances, the vote-tallying process performed by the vice president is simply a specified formality and it’s the last measurement successful the analyzable method process of electing a caller administration.

For example, successful 2000, aft the grueling 36-day Florida recount battle, Democrat Al Gore conceded the presidency connected Dec. 13 to Republican George W. Bush.

Gore, too, was the vice president, and helium certified Bush’s win.

“The full fig of the electors appointed to vote for president of the United States is 538,” Gore said from the rostrum, going connected to work disconnected his ain nonaccomplishment to Congress. “George W. Bush of the authorities of Texas has received for president of the United States 271 votes. Al Gore of the authorities of Tennessee has received 266 votes.”

But this astir didn’t hap 4 years ago.

Trump refused to judge decision and sparked a convulsive insurrection astatine the Capitol, erstwhile then-Vice President Mike Pence was to certify Democrat Joe Biden’s win. Trump’s supporters chanted “Hang Mike Pence” arsenic they ransacked Capitol offices.

Trump had wanted Pence to “do the close thing” and state Trump the winner. Trump and his allies spent days successful a futile bid trying to person Pence that the vice president had the powerfulness to cull electors from battleground states that voted for Biden, adjacent though the Constitution makes wide the vice president’s relation successful the associated league is mostly ceremonial, overmuch similar a maestro of ceremonies.

Pence acknowledged that world successful a lengthy connection to Congress. He laid retired his decision that a vice president cannot assertion “unilateral authority” to cull states’ electoral votes. He gaveled successful the associated league of Congress connected Jan. 7, 2021, to certify for Biden.