
Joe Biden official portrait 2013 cropped.
(Image by Wikipedia (commons.wikimedia.org), Author: The White House from Washington, DC) Details Source DMCA
Joe Biden was formally recognized by Congress as the next U.S. president early Thursday, ending two months of failed challenges by his predecessor, Donald Trump, that exploded into violence at the U.S. Capitol as lawmakers met to ratify the election result. Vice President Mike Pence — who had split with Trump by calling for protesters inside the Capitol to be prosecuted — presided over certification of Biden’s 306 Electoral College votes. Earlier Wednesday, he defied the president by telling lawmakers in a letter he would make no attempt to unilaterally block the certification from proceeding. The occupation of the Capitol prompted Republicans to curtail their planned objections, with senators forcing debate on only two states’ electors instead of the six they originally planned.