WASHINGTON — On a day replete with political symbolism for both parties, Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday officially acknowledged President-elect Donald Trump as the winner of the 2024 election, certifying the electoral college votes.

While the certification of votes served as a ceremonial completion to the turbulent 2024 election, the day also marked a momentous anniversary of the violent mob that stormed the Capitol four years ago, when Trump supporters attempted to disrupt the count.

Those scarring events were not far from lawmakers' minds, as many released statements ahead of time commemorating the dark day. But the president-elect was ready to cast a more jubilant tone on his Truth Social page early Monday, calling it "A BIG MOMENT IN HISTORY. MAGA!"

While Trump was absent for the ceremony, his onetime opponent from California kept the proceedings civil and businesslike. Harris strode purposefully into the House chamber in a plum-colored suit, leading the senators to the joint session of Congress.

She stood stoically at the dais, crossing her hands or passing along manila envelopes with the electoral college vote certificates, as the drone of each state's official vote count was read — including those from states that voted for her. Ironically, the senators submitted each count to her with the honorific "Madam President," as Harris served in her capacity as president of the Senate.

After just 30 minutes, Harris concluded the tally: "Donald J. Trump from the state of Florida has received 312 votes," she said, as the House erupted into applause. She smiled widely and, after a moment, hammered her gavel to call the chamber to order. Then, she announced her own results: "Kamala D. Harris from the state of California has received 226 votes."

Again, the chamber burst into cheers as her Democratic colleagues gave Harris a standing ovation. Once again, the vice president smiled and, after a moment, hammered the gavel for order.

Following the swift proceedings, Harris huddled with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) before telling reporters that she "did what I have done my entire career, which is take seriously the oath that I have taken many times, to support and defend the Constitution of the United States."

"I do believe very strongly that America's democracy is only as strong as our willingness to fight for it. Every single person — their willingness to fight for and respect the importance of our democracy," she said. "Otherwise it is very fragile and it will not be able to withstand moments of crisis. And today, America's democracy stood."

Harris joins a small club of vice presidents who lost their bids for president and were required to certify the results — among them Al Gore and Richard Nixon. In 2021, then-Vice President Mike Pence officially certified the results in which he lost his vice presidential bid — drawing contempt from his running mate.

What was once a perfunctory duty of Congress — certifying the electoral college votes from all states — became an international debacle in 2021, when people upset about Trump's reelection defeat in 2020 forced their way into the Capitol to disrupt the process.

"Thanks to the resilience of our institutions and the bravery of U.S. Capitol Police officers who risked their lives, this assault on our democracy failed. Yet, attacks on the right to vote and the very foundation of our democracy persist," said Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) in a statement.

The riot, which unfolded on live television, immediately drew bipartisan condemnation. House leaders convened a committee to investigate the Jan. 6 rioters and law enforcement from across the country cracked down, leading to hundreds of convictions. But dueling political narratives quickly took hold.

By the time of the 2024 election, Trump had characterized Jan. 6, 2021, as "a day of love" and promised to pardon many of the rioters. Family members and supporters of those arrested after Jan. 6 frequently attended Trump's campaign events.

Democrats used the Jan. 6 attacks as evidence of a fragile democracy at risk of toppling under a second Trump administration. President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris frequently portrayed Trump as a danger to democracy — though Republicans threw the insult back, alleging that Democrats stole the 2020 election. Democrats, who clearly lost in November, hammered a familiar line Monday: We are not sore losers.

"History will always remember the attempted insurrection and we will never allow the violence that unfolded in plain sight to be whitewashed," Jeffries said in a statement Monday morning.

But for other lawmakers who endured the brutality of Jan. 6, 2021, the memory was still vivid. Rep. Jim Costa (D-Fresno) called it "the saddest day" of his years in Congress. He scrolled through photos on his phone from four years prior, recalling the moment he ducked between chairs in the upper gallery of the House chamber.

"We were trapped up there for 40 minutes. It was surreal. I thought to myself, through difficult times — war, depression, whatever our country's been through, how resilient our democracy has been. I thought on that day, how fragile our democracy can be," Costa said. "It's reinforcement that we should never forget that day. That our democracy — as resilient as it has been, as strong as it has been, a beacon of light, the oldest democracy in the world — yet that day, it looked like a Third World country."

Several layers of security surrounded the Capitol buildings Monday morning, but the campus was mostly quiet as a snowstorm blanketed Washington in white. Police presence was ramped up throughout the capital.

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