- nehakdubhashi
2020 Presidential Election: Results and Aftermath
Updated: Jun 21, 2021
Picture from Bloomberg Opinion
On December 14th, the electoral vote was finalized.
Biden won on 306 electoral votes and had 81,281,502 popular votes, whereas Trump lost on 232 electoral votes and had 74,222,593 popular votes.
Donald Trump repeatedly falsely disputed the legitimacy of the election as it was underway. He claimed that the election had been “stolen” from him and there were election irregularities. During the election, Trump attempted to stop the vote count in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and other states. He claimed that Democrats would use mail-in ballots to “steal the election,” citing no evidence in his case for voter fraud.
Eventually, his comments lit a fuse. "Count the Vote" protest marches flamed up, across the entire country. Prominent political leaders, one being Senator Elizabeth Warren referred to Trump’s narrative as "undemocratic."
Trump backed up his words through legal battles for recounts, eventually being unsuccessful. At this point, he went on Twitter and incited violence, proposing a call to action.
Thousands of his supporters accumulated in Washington, D.C. on January 5th and 6th, an ominous premonition of what was to come. On January 6th, 2021, a mob of Trump supporters stormed the United States Capitol in a dangerous, violent riot. The Capitol was placed under lockdown while Congresspeople were evacuated. Five people lost their lives, and over one hundred-and-forty people were injured in the ensuing violence. During this, Trump stated, “if you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore,” a maxim that spurred many cries for blood throughout his supporters. The riot stopped the Electoral College vote that was then happening in the 117th Congress, which would formalize Biden’s victory.
Two months after losing, Trump committed to an orderly transition of power. However, the violence he encouraged was recognized by Twitter, a social media platform that has since permanently banned his account, and several political leaders have referred to Trump’s actions and the events that took place at the Capitol as “undemocratic,” echoing sentiments across the nation.
Biden’s inauguration occurred on January 20th, 2021, bringing with it hope for democracy.
Written by: Neha Dubhashi
Sources: