By Emel Akan
WASHINGTON—President Joe Biden is meeting with President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday in the Oval Office, continuing the tradition during the transition period.
Shortly before 11 a.m., Trump returned to the White House for the first time in four years following a decisive victory in the Nov. 5 election. His win capped a significant comeback after losing his reelection bid to Biden in 2020.
In remarks before their meeting, Trump said, “Politics is tough and in many cases it’s not a nice world but it is a nice world today.”
He went on to thank Biden for a smooth transition, according to a pool report.
The president replied “You’re welcome,” according to a pool report.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that the president and his team are focused on ensuring the transition is both effective and efficient.
In a press briefing on Nov. 12, Jean-Pierre said that Biden is hosting this meeting “because he believes in the norms.”
“He said the American people deserve this. They deserve a peaceful transfer of power.”
On Nov. 10, 2016, President Barack Obama invited then-President-elect Trump to the White House as part of the tradition.
However, following his dispute over the results of the 2020 election, Trump did not extend a similar invitation to President-elect Joe Biden.
The upcoming meeting between Biden and Trump is expected to be cordial, reflecting a significant shift in the relationship between the two presidents.
Biden repeatedly called Trump an “existential threat” to democracy, accusing him of instigating the Capitol Hill riots on Jan. 6, 2021.
Trump, in turn, referred to Biden as “the worst president in the history of the United States, by far.”
However, on Nov. 7, Biden delivered a speech from the Rose Garden, promising a peaceful transition of power and urging Americans to “accept the choice.” The day before, Biden had spoken with Trump to congratulate him on his victory in the 2024 election.
Trump’s team quickly confirmed the call in a statement.
“President Trump looks forward to the meeting, which will take place shortly, and very much appreciated the call,” Steven Cheung, Trump campaign communications director, said in the statement.
Biden and Trump are expected to discuss top domestic and foreign policy issues, according to White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan.
On Nov. 10, Sullivan offered a brief preview of the upcoming meeting during an interview with CBS’s “Face the Nation.” He stated that Biden will tell the president-elect not to abandon Ukraine.
“President Biden will have the opportunity over the next 70 days to make the case to the Congress and to the incoming administration that the United States should not walk away from Ukraine, that walking away from Ukraine means more instability in Europe,” he added.
The two last crossed paths at the 9/11 memorial in New York City for the 23rd anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) on Nov. 11 criticized Trump’s transition team.
“Donald Trump and his transition team are already breaking the law,” Warren said on Nov. 11 in a post on the social media platform X. “I would know because I wrote the law. Incoming presidents are required to prevent conflicts of interest and sign an ethics agreement.”
Warren was reacting to news reports that Trump’s transition team had not yet signed agreements with the Biden White House and the General Services Administration, a federal agency with a prominent role in the presidential transition process.
The agreements will grant Trump’s team access to federal office space, secure emails, and funds designated for transition efforts.
Jean-Pierre told reporters on Nov. 7 that Trump’s team “said they have an intent” to sign the agreements.
Prior to the meeting at the White House on Wednesday, Trump is expected to meet with Republican lawmakers in Congress.
