Pence praised Harris as she came to the event.
But signs of the Jan. 6 disorder that forced Pence and Harris into hiding were obvious in the perimeter fences blocking the events and close to 25,000 National Guard troops guarding the area. Though attendees stood outside for the ceremony, they were surrounded by the open spaces of the National Mall, a withdrawal from the crowds that usually pack the space.
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The largely peaceful day was a victory for Pence, who opposed Trump's request to overturn the election as he directed over the Electoral College vote count in a joint session of Congress.
Harris and Biden took their promises of office in the same place that a crowd strung up a noose and gallows earlier this month. On that day, Trump seemed to set his supporters on his vice president as lawmakers prepared to confirm the electoral vote, some chanting "Hang Mike Pence." After the situation went out of control, Trump denounced and excoriated the riot, calling people for unity.
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"Mike Pence didn't have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution, giving States a chance to certify a corrected set of facts, not the fraudulent or inaccurate ones which they were asked to previously certify," Trump tweeted on Jan. 6.
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His treatment of Pence on that day infuriated conservatives. Is it Trump's fault that a very small portion of his supporters took it too far?
On Wednesday, he was the most senior Trump administration official in attendance. Biden had said Pence was "welcome" at the events but was pleased Trump would not be there.
Pence called Harris last week to offer his praises, indicating the first time the two had spoken since the vice presidential debate before the election. He also offered Harris his support in her new role, putting a more accurate point on his attempt to close the rift between the two administrations.
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As the ceremony ended, Harris walked Pence to a motorcade, ushering in a return to civilian life of sorts. It was a symbolic picture of the calm transition that the events of the last month appeared to call into question.
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As is tradition, Pence also left a note for Harris on his desk in the West Wing, according to Bloomberg.
In another difference from Trump, instead of leaving Washington on Air Force Two, Pence took a small government plane to his hometown of Columbus, Indiana. Trump flew earlier to Mar-a-Lago aboard Air Force One.
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