On Wednesday, Donald Trump made a triumphant return to Washington by meeting with Democratic President Joe Biden in the Oval Office.
While the Republican president-elect works rapidly to establish his new administration, the incumbent president and the president-elect both pledged to ensure a peaceful handover of power.
“Donald, congrats,” Mr. Biden said, shaking hands with Mr. Trump and saying he was “looking forward to a smooth transition.”
Much obliged,” Mr. Trump added. Politics is difficult. And the world isn’t always a pleasant one. However, I am grateful for the pleasant world we live in today.
“I really appreciate that, Joe,” he replied, adding that the changeover between the departing and new administrations “will be as smooth as it can get.”
During the transition four years ago, Mr. Trump, who has long denied that he lost the 2020 election to Mr. Biden, did not extend an invitation to Mr. Biden to visit the White House.
When Mr. Trump arrived at the White House, First Lady Jill Biden welcomed him and handed him a handwritten note of congratulations for his wife, Melania, who was unable to travel to Washington. The first lady’s team was also prepared to help with the transition, according to the letter.
On Wednesday, the president-elect’s aircraft landed at a military installation close to the Capitol. As Mr. Trump gets ready for a possible unified Republican government and sweep of power, he met with entrepreneur Elon Musk to meet with House Republicans before to his meeting with Mr. Biden in the Oval Office.
“It’s nice to win,” Mr. Trump said to Republican officials upon his return to Washington for the first time since his election victory.
In what would be his final presidential election, House Republicans gave Mr. Trump a standing ovation, and many of them recorded him as he went over his party’s successes throughout the ballot.
To laughing, Mr. Trump remarked, “Unless you say he’s good, I suspect I won’t be running again. We need to figure something else.”
The former president, who left the US nearly four years ago as a diminished and politically defeated leader following the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021, is making a stunning return to the US seat of government. He and his allies see this as a mandate for governance.
Prior to Mr. Trump’s arrival, House Speaker Mike Johnson declared, “He is the comeback king.” We owe him a huge debt of appreciation.
The former president’s return to Washington was brought into sharp focus by the private talks with Republicans that took place prior to Mr. Trump’s meeting with President Joe Biden at the White House, which is a customary element of the peaceful transfer of power.
The outcome could be influenced by his visit during the Republican House leadership elections.
With twelve more contests to be called, control of the House of Representatives is still up for grabs.
According to a Trump official, billionaire Elon Musk will travel to Washington to meet with Mr. Trump.
It is now anticipated that the owner of SpaceX, who was assigned a government efficiency advising role in Mr. Trump’s new administration, will not attend the White House meeting with Mr. Biden.
Before he and Mr. Biden meet in the Oval Office, Mr. Musk will attend Mr. Trump’s earlier meeting with House Republicans. Since the election, the businessman has consistently been by Mr. Trump’s side.
It has since come to light that Melania Trump will not be attending the dinner with her husband at the White House.
“Her husband’s return to the Oval Office to begin the transition process is encouraging, and she wishes him great success,” a spokesman stated.
She declined the invitation without providing an explanation.
Both Joe Biden and Jill Biden had congratulated the Trumps and invited them to the White House for a meeting. While the president and president-elect confer in the Oval Office, the spouses usually gather upstairs in the house.
Kamala Harris is another individual who is not anticipated to attend the conference.
According to a source, the US vice president, whom Mr. Trump defeated in the election, is attending meetings at her official residence in the morning.
It is unlikely that she will appear until after Mr. Trump departs if she does, either at the White House or the nearby Eisenhower Executive Office Building, where the majority of her staff is employed.
Since their June discussion, this is the first time the US leader and the man who will succeed him have met.
Democrats put pressure on Mr. Biden to withdraw from the White House race and allow another candidate to challenge Mr. Trump after he performed poorly at that event.
Weeks later, the president announced the end of his campaign and endorsed Ms. Harris as vice president.
