Trump's 2024 election victory certified

The U.S. Congress formally certified Republican President-elect Donald Trump's election victory on Monday during a session presided over by Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris.

Amid a winter storm and with towering black fences encircling the U.S. Capitol complex, the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate convened in a joint session around noon to certify Trump's election, marking the final step in confirming the results of the 2024 presidential contest.

Harris, who was defeated by Trump in the November election, presented the electoral vote results from each state and the District of Columbia, and two senators and two House representatives took turns to announce the vote counts. The final tally of electoral votes showed that Trump received 312 electoral votes, surpassing the 270 needed to win the presidency, while Harris received 226 votes.

"Today was obviously a very important day, and it was about what should be the norm and what the American people should be able to take for granted, which is that one of the most important pillars of our democracy is that there will be a peaceful transfer of power," Harris told reporters at the Capitol. "I do believe very strongly that American democracy is only as strong as our willingness to fight for it."

"Congress certifies our great election victory today – a big moment in history. MAGA!" Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social earlier on Monday.

Republicans also captured a majority in the U.S. Senate and held a narrow edge in the House in November's election, as Trump seeks to implement tax cuts and a crackdown on immigrants living in the country illegally.

Security inside and outside the Capitol was heightened in preparation for the certification and was expected to remain in place through Trump's swearing-in on January 20.

Four years ago, on the very day of this process, Trump supporters stormed the Capitol, trying to block the certification of then-President Trump's 2020 loss to Democratic President Joe Biden. Trump continues to claim that his 2020 defeat was the result of widespread fraud.

(With input from agencies)