Moments ago, California's electors finished counting their ballots. With all 55 of our votes going to Joe Biden and our own Sen. Kamala Harris, Biden and Harris have been carried over the 270-vote threshold, formally electing them the next president and vice president. Kamala Harris made history as the first woman and the first person of color to be elected to the vice presidency.
This is supposed to be just a formality, but with Donald Trump's scorched earth attack not just on this election but the democratic core of our republic, today's formal electoral college vote came with enormous importance and gravitas.
Donald Trump tried to intimidate state and local election officials. Donald Trump's campaign attacked countless election workers who'd worked through a raging pandemic to make sure the election was free, fair, and true. Trump's supporters issued threats to electors to the point of them requiring police escorts as they cast their votes.
And it didn't work.
Electors in every state showed up and voted. They did their job. They did their job in accordance with the laws of their states and with loyalty to the democratic process of the people in their states. So far, not a single faithless elector has cast a ballot.
Our system has been battered and stress tested. We will need to find reforms and better safeguards.
But for now, in this moment, we kept the Republic.