- Biden promises a smooth transfer of power to Trump.
- Trump’s team has not yet signed the transition agreements.
- Trump celebrates victory with Republicans in the House of Representatives.
WASHINGTON: President-elect Donald Trump returned to the White House on Wednesday for the first time since his election victory last week and sat down for talks about the impending transfer of power with his longtime political rival President Joe Biden.
“Hello, welcome back,” Biden said to Trump at the beginning of their meeting in front of a burning fireplace.
Trump promised a smooth transition of power and would do everything he could to “make sure you get it.”
“It will be as smooth as possible,” Trump said.
This was a sharp contrast to the criticism the two men had leveled at each other for years. Their teams take vastly different positions on policies, from climate change to Russia to trade.
Biden, 81, has portrayed Trump as a threat to democracy, while Trump, 78, has portrayed Biden as incompetent. Trump made false claims of widespread fraud after losing the 2020 election to Biden.
Trump’s motorcade passed through the heavily guarded gates of the White House, and Biden, the Democrat who defeated him in the 2020 elections, received the former and future Republican president in the Oval Office.
Outside on the White House corridor, a large crowd of reporters gathered in anticipation of this big event.
Trump celebrated his victory earlier today with Republicans in the House of Representatives, who have a good chance of maintaining control of the chamber with the results of the November 5th elections.
Trump said: “Wouldn’t it be nice to win? It’s nice to win. It’s always nice to win.” “The House has done very well.”
Biden, who initially ran against Trump in the 2024 election before stepping down and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee, will welcome the former and future president to the Oval Office, a traditional courtesy for outgoing presidents, as Republican Trump did. It does not extend when Biden won in 2020.
White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said of Biden’s decision to invite Trump: “He believes in norms, he believes in our institution, he believes in the peaceful transfer of power.” She spoke at a press conference on Tuesday.
Outside the gates of the White House, signs of the imminent transfer of power were clear, with construction work already beginning for the grandstands for VIP guests to seat during the parade that will be held after Trump’s inauguration on January 20.
Although Biden intends to use the meeting to show continuity, the transition process itself is partially stalled.
White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters that Biden said supporting Ukraine was in the national security interest of the United States because a strong and stable Europe would prevent America from being drawn into war. Trump pledged to quickly end the war between Russia and Ukraine, without explaining how.
Trump said to New York Post He and Biden “talked a lot about the Middle East” during their conversation. “I wanted to get his perspective on where we are,” Trump said. The newspaper quoted Trump as saying: “He gave it to me. He was very generous.”
“We’re looking forward, as we’ve said, to a smooth transition, and doing everything we can to make sure you get what you need,” Biden said.
“Politics is hard, and in many cases the world is not very nice, but it is a beautiful world today, and I very much appreciate the transition that will be very smooth, and it will be as smooth as possible, I very much appreciate that.” “Joe,” said Trump, who will take office on January 20.
Trump’s team, which has already announced some members of the next president’s Cabinet, has not yet signed agreements that would lead to office space and government equipment as well as access to government officials, facilities and information, according to the White House.
“Trump-Vance transition attorneys continue to work constructively with Biden-Harris administration attorneys regarding all agreements set forth in the Presidential Transition Act,” Brian Vance, Trump’s transition spokesman, said in reference to the law governing the transfer of power. To the law governing the transfer of power. .
Valerie Smith Boyd, director of the Partnership for Public Service Center on Presidential Transition, a non-profit organization that advises incoming administrations, said the agreement confirms that the United States has only one president at a time, and includes pledges to sign agreements on ethics and not for profit. Outside of the information provided in the transfer process.
“This must be signed so that interaction with federal agencies can begin,” she said. “It all depends on it.”
Aside from meetings with federal agencies, Biden and Trump are likely to discuss a myriad of topics, including foreign policy.
The outgoing president may urge Trump to support Ukraine in its war with Russia. American support for Kiev came into question after Trump’s victory over Harris last week, and Trump pledged to end the war quickly without explaining how.
Jean-Pierre refused to specify the points of discussion between the two men before their meeting.
This meeting will be the first since the debate that took place between the two men in June. Biden’s poor performance then heightened concerns about his age among fellow Democrats and led to his exit from the race. Harris instead became the Democratic nominee, running a truncated campaign that ended in her loss.