Republican electors stayed loyal to their candidate, keeping Trump well above the 270 electoral vote threshold needed to secure the nomination.

Texas's 36 electoral votes for Trump pushed him over the edge at around 4:30 p.m. CST, even though two rogue electors' defections deprived Trump of one of those votes. That gave Trump 304 total electoral votes.

"The official votes cast by the Electoral College exceeded the 270 required to secure the presidency by a very large margin, far greater than ever anticipated by the media," it said. "This election represents a movement that millions of hard working men and women all across the country stood behind and made possible. With this historic step we can look forward to the bright future ahead. I will work hard to unite our country and be the President of all Americans. Together, we will make America great again.” In a statement released Monday evening, Trump marked his victory and thanked the voters.

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The Republican-controlled Congress, a body even more unlikely to be swayed by pressure than the Electoral College, will certify the vote on Jan. 6.

The Texas defectors mark the only two "faithless electors" who broke from the controversial Republican. One voted for Ohio Gov. John Kasich, while the other voted for former Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas).

In recent weeks, rogue presidential electors calling themselves the “Hamilton Electors” urged Republican electors to defect from Trump.

Indeed, faithless electors caused more news on the Democratic side.