President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump met within the Oval Workplace for practically two hours on Wednesday, resuming an indicator of America’s peaceable switch of energy that Trump himself flouted in 2020.
The 2 males, seated by a roaring fireplace, shook palms earlier than reporters and information cameras.
President Biden spoke first, calling for a “clean transition” and telling Trump he would do “the whole lot we are able to to be sure to’re accommodated.”
Trump adopted by thanking Biden.
“Politics is hard, and it is, in lots of circumstances, not a really good world however it’s a good world right now,” Trump mentioned. “And I respect it very a lot. A transition that is so clean, it will be as clean as it could possibly get, and I very a lot respect that, Joe.”
They didn’t reply questions.
President Joe Biden meets with President-elect Donald Trump within the Oval Workplace of the White Home, Nov. 13, 2024, in Washington.
Al Drago/Pool//EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
The assembly, which the White Home later described as cordial, got here after an intense (and at instances insult-ridden) marketing campaign earlier than Biden dropped out of the race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris.
First girl Jill Biden joined President Biden in greeting Trump upon his arrival, in accordance with the White Home. She gave Trump a handwritten letter of congratulations for Melania Trump, which additionally expressed her staff’s readiness to help with the transition.
The primary girl’s workplace confirmed {that a} joint invitation was prolonged to the Trumps for Wednesday’s assembly, however Melania Trump didn’t journey to Washington along with her husband.
“Her husband’s return to the Oval Workplace to begin the transition course of is encouraging, and she or he needs him nice success,” Melania Trump’s workplace mentioned in a press release.
In 2016, Michelle Obama hosted Melania Trump on the White Home when then-President Barack Obama hosted Trump within the Oval Workplace for 90 minutes.
President Barack Obama, from proper, President-elect Donald Trump, First Woman-elect Melania Trump, and First Woman Michelle Obama, exterior of the White Home forward of the 58th presidential inauguration in Washington, D.C., Jan. 20, 2017.
Kevin Dietsch/Pool through Bloomberg/Getty Photos
However after the 2020 election, Trump broke not solely with inviting the president-elect to the White Home however he additionally skipped Biden’s inauguration, as an alternative leaving Washington mere hours earlier than the ceremony started.
Wednesday marked Trump’s first time again within the White Home since ending his presidency underneath a cloud of election denialism 4 years in the past. Per week earlier than his departure, he was impeached by the Home for a second time as lawmakers charged him with “incitement of revolt” after his supporters violently stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
President-elect Donald Trump sits within the Oval Workplace of the White Home throughout a gathering with President Joe Biden, Nov. 13, 2024, in Washington.
Evan Vucci/AP
Trump on the time vowed to return and his comeback was made full final week. He swept all seven swing states, clinching 312 electoral votes to Vice President Kamala Harris’ 226 votes, and is on monitor to win the favored vote.
Biden spoke with Trump on Nov. 6 to congratulate him and to increase a political olive department with an invite to the White Home. White Home press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre mentioned that Biden did so as a result of “he believes within the norms” of the establishment.
Vice President Harris didn’t attend the assembly. In line with the White Home, White Home chief of workers Jeff Zients and incoming White Home chief of workers Susie Wiles have been current for the dialog.
Jean-Pierre, at Wednesday’s press briefing, described the dialogue between Biden and Trump as “very gracious and substantive.”
They mentioned overseas coverage, together with Biden’s view on standing with Ukraine within the face of Russia’s aggression, nationwide safety and home points, she mentioned, and Trump got here ready with a listing of questions for Biden.
When requested by ABC Information Chief White Home Correspondent Mary Bruce if there was any indication the recommendation Biden gave was being well-received by Trump, Jean-Pierre mentioned, “I believe so.”
President Joe Biden shakes palms with President-elect Donald Trump throughout a gathering within the Oval Workplace of the White Home in Washington, Nov. 13, 2024.
Saul Loeb/AFP through Getty Photos
Biden additionally spoke to Trump about “necessary gadgets” for Congress to realize within the lame-duck session. Lawmakers should come to an settlement on authorities funding, move the annual protection invoice and extra earlier than the tip of the yr.
“Lastly, the president reiterated what he mentioned to the president elect the day after the election and to the American individuals within the Rose Backyard simply final week: we could have an orderly transition and a peaceable transition of energy,” Jean-Pierre mentioned.
Jean-Pierre mentioned Biden would hold the road of communication open with the president-elect.
“We received to recollect, this isn’t concerning the two presidents. This isn’t about President Biden or President elect Trump,” she mentioned. “That is concerning the American individuals and what’s proper for the American individuals.”
President-elect Donald Trump arrives previous to assembly with President Joe Biden and members of Congress in Washington, at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, Nov. 13, 2024.
Brian Snyder/Reuters
Trump spoke to the New York Publish after the assembly, saying he spoke with Biden about Russia and the Center East.
“I wished — I requested for his views and he gave them to me,” Trump instructed the newspaper.
Earlier than assembly with Biden, Trump acquired a heat welcome again to Washington by Home Republicans. Flanked by Elon Musk, a newly influential determine in his orbit, Trump spoke to the convention and thanked them for delivering a Home majority.
