Donald Trump has returned to the White House. Although he must wait until his inauguration on 20 January 2025 to officially assume the presidency again, the 78-year-old Republican victor of the 5 November presidential election met today with outgoing President Joe Biden at Biden’s invitation to discuss the transfer of power.
The meeting in the Oval Office began at 11:00 local time (18:00 Cyprus time).
Donald Trump expressed gratitude to President Joe Biden for facilitating a smooth transition, acknowledging that “politics is tough” during their lengthy two-hour meeting at the White House following Trump’s surprising win over Kamala Harris.
Biden, 81, welcomed Trump warmly with “welcome back” as they began what appeared to be a friendly conversation in the Oval Office. Although many anticipated tension, the meeting started on a warm note, with the two seated before a crackling fire.
In a brief glimpse available to the public, the atmosphere seemed amicable, with each addressing the other by their first name. They shook hands. Harris, Biden’s vice president whom Trump had defeated, was neither present nor mentioned.
In an unusual scenario, Biden was greeting the man who would not only succeed him but also once preceded him in office. Trump had achieved a landslide victory on November 5, securing both the popular vote and the Electoral College, and sweeping all seven key swing states.
The meeting’s image was starkly different from the previous 2020 election, when Trump, refusing to concede, did not recognise Biden’s win—maintaining to this day, without evidence, that the election was fraudulent.
As the election loser, Trump did not arrange a similar visit for Biden when he was declared the winner in 2020, shutting the door to the White House on 20 January, just hours before Biden’s inauguration, and not attending the inauguration ceremony.
The “Trump Force One” aeroplane landed at Andrews Air Force Base, with Trump arriving in the American capital at 09:30. The businessman celebrated his victory with Republicans in the House of Representatives, who have a strong chance of retaining control as vote counts continue.
“Well Mr. President-elect, Donald, congratulations,” Biden said. “I look forward to having a smooth transition.”
Trump, in response, expressed gratitude and adopted a notably different tone from his campaign approach. “Politics is tough,” he said, adding, “In many cases it is not a nice world, but it is a nice world today.”
Discussing the transition, Trump said, “It will be as smooth as it can get, and I very much appreciate that, Joe.”
Melania Trump did not join her husband for the visit. However, First Lady Jill Biden accompanied President Biden to welcome Trump, handing him a handwritten letter for Melania that congratulated her and confirmed the team’s readiness to assist with the transition.
Also present at the meeting were Biden’s Chief of Staff Jeff Zients and Trump’s incoming Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. Although Tesla CEO Elon Musk and other staff had traveled with Trump to Washington and to his early meetings, they were not present in the Oval Office.
The White House reported that the meeting lasted around two hours, surpassing the 90-minute meeting in 2016 between Trump and then-President Barack Obama after Trump’s initial election victory.
Outside the White House gates, signs of the impending power transfer were evident, with VIP stands being set up for guests who will attend Trump’s inauguration events on 20 January.
Source: ANA-MPA/BBC/Daily Mail
