Washington  -  Four years to the day after a mob of Donald Trump’s supporters violently besieged the US Capitol, Congress formally certified the incoming president’s re-election in a special session. Vice-President Kamala Harris, who Trump defeated in the 2024 election, presided over the event as required by the US Constitution. But the shadow of 6 January 2021 lingered over Monday’s proceedings, despite Trump and his allies’ campaign to recast the attack as a “day of love.” Heavy security was in place in Washington DC, and current President Joe Biden vowed there would be no repeat of the violence four years ago. The certification, which began as scheduled and without incident at 13:00 on Monday, is normally a symbol of America’s commitment to the peaceful transfer of power despite partisan disagreements.

But this time, it was an emblem of Trump’s extraordinary political comeback and his complete takeover of the Republican Party.

Trump celebrated the moment on Truth Social, writing: “Congress certifies our great election victory today - a big moment in history.”

The day was extraordinary in its normalcy, given the chaos of four years before. Harris stood at the front of the US House chamber with a sombre expression as lawmakers read out each state’s election results before formally declaring their authenticity.

Though the results declared Trump the victor, Harris received a standing ovation from the Democratic side of the chamber when she read out her own electoral vote tally.

Vice-president-elect JD Vance was in attendance. Seated directly next to him was Republican Senator Bill Cassidy, one of the few remaining Republican senators who voted to convict Trump in an impeachment trial stemming from the riot - that vote ultimately failed and Trump was acquitted.

Earlier, House Speaker Mike Johnson had promised to go ahead with the certification in spite of the inclement weather, telling Fox News: “Whether we’re in a blizzard or not, we’re going to be in that chamber making sure this is done.”