On a mundane Monday, Kamala Harris was tasked with the formal recognition of her loss to Donald Trump. Her words were painfully brief, and her body language gave away her disappointment as the results from each state rolled in. In what felt like no time, she had to bite the bullet and categorically state that Trump had conquered the election. Her forced smile was the only response she could muster as Republicans burst into triumphant applause.
With a dry voice, Harris officially closed the joint session, thanking those present. This was a stark contrast to the scene four years ago when passionate supporters of Trump voiced their dissent as his defeat to Joe Biden was being certified by lawmakers. This time, there was no room for disputation as all respected the election’s results.
‘It’s a peaceful transfer of power’, said a somber Harris, trying to find solace in tradition, as she exited the building. However, the task was harsh for Harris. Rather than rising to supremacy as the nation’s first female President, she found herself having to delegate sanction to the constitutional proceedings that would reinstate the ever-resourceful Trump.
Harris added her name to a short and not-so-eminent list of predecessors who, in their vice-presidential roles presiding over the Senate, had to swallow the bitter pill of defeat. The list includes Richard Nixon, who had to do so after his loss to John F. Kennedy in 1960, and Al Gore, who had to do the same after the U.S. Supreme Court controversially clinched the 2000 election for George W. Bush.
However, none of their situations were quite as unique or humiliating as Harris’ as she was presiding over the certification of her defeat to an indomitable President who had refused to admit defeat previously. Moreover, Trump’s assertion about alleged electoral fraud, which misguided his supporters, caused them to march on U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
Thankfully, Harris was located safely at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington on that day. She had to be evacuated when a pipe bomb was found in the vicinity. She lashed out at Trump, labeling him as a petty tyrant and a wannabe autocrat, as if projecting her loss onto his actions.
Post her electoral loss, Harris pledged to respect the voter’s wishes in her concession speech. ‘When we lose an election, we accept the results’, she said, as if trying to differentiate democracy from autocracy while downplaying her struggles to do just that.
The unruly conduct of Trump’s supporters who charged into the Capitol, disrupting the proceedings, and sending lawmakers into hiding for their safety was an unfortunate event. It took a while for the police to regain control and clear the rioters from the premises for the certification process to resume.
A notable number of Republicans stood their ground, voicing their objections to the result. Even in the face of this adversity, the former vice president Mike Pence, asserted that he had no authority to reverse the results of a democratic election.
Pence openly criticized Trump, blaming him for the reckless endangerment of his family and others present in the Capitol that day. His empathy was not shared by all, but it provided a stark contrast to Harris’s approach.
The latest instance of a vice president having to validate their own defeat was the aftermath of the 2000 election. The fierce contest between Gore and Bush ended in the courtroom, where Bush emerged victorious with the U.S. Supreme Court’s controversial verdict.
Despite the clamoring protests by certain Democrats, Congress certified the results on January 6, 2001. Rep. Maxine Waters of California famously objected to Florida’s disputed electoral votes, to which Gore responded with a sarcastic remark about the importance of the rules.
The session concluded after a few rounds of objections. God bless our new president, our new vice president, and God bless the United States of America’, were Gore’s parting words. Those present acknowledged his grace by giving him a standing ovation, something Harris might attempt to draw some inspiration from.