The Washington PostDemocracy Dies in Darkness
Congress finished counting the electoral votes and Vice President Pence declared Joe Biden the president-elect during a joint session of Congress on Jan. 7. (Video: The Washington Post)

Pence declares Biden winner of the presidential election after Congress finally counts electoral votes

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Vice President Pence declared Democrat Joe Biden the winner of the presidential election at the end of a violent and deadly day at the Capitol. Pence also announced that Sen. Kamala D. Harris (D-Calif.) had won the vice presidency, after the Senate and House rejected Trump loyalists’ challenges to Biden’s win in Pennsylvania and Congress finally counted the electoral votes.  
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The statement, tweeted by the White House’s social media director as the president remained locked out of his own Twitter and Facebook accounts, stopped short of conceding or congratulating Biden.
Pro-Trump rioters forced their way through security barricades, breaking windows, climbing on rafters, ripping down U.S. flags and roaming the Senate chamber. By day’s end, four people would be dead: one from gunfire and three from medical emergencies officials have yet to explain.
“Violence never wins; freedom wins; and this is still the people’s house,” Pence said, in rare remarks from the Senate dais. The vice president had earlier rebuffed Trump’s demands to intervene in the count.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) described the attack as “a shameful assault … on our democracy. It was anointed at the highest level of government.”
Congressional Democrats and some Republicans accused President Trump of inciting a “coup.”
Election results are under attack: Here are the facts.
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The statement, tweeted by the White House’s social media director as the president remained locked out of his own Twitter and Facebook accounts, stopped short of conceding or congratulating Biden.
Pro-Trump rioters forced their way through security barricades, breaking windows, climbing on rafters, ripping down U.S. flags and roaming the Senate chamber. By day’s end, four people would be dead: one from gunfire and three from medical emergencies officials have yet to explain.
“Violence never wins; freedom wins; and this is still the people’s house,” Pence said, in rare remarks from the Senate dais. The vice president had earlier rebuffed Trump’s demands to intervene in the count.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) described the attack as “a shameful assault … on our democracy. It was anointed at the highest level of government.”
Congressional Democrats and some Republicans accused President Trump of inciting a “coup.”
Election results are under attack: Here are the facts.
End of carousel