Jill Biden extends an olive branch to Trump after Melania snub

Jill Biden gave Donald Trump a letter for Melania and vowed to assist her in anyway possible after Melania snubbed her invitation to tea.

The first lady joined husband Joe Biden in greeting the president-election when he arrived at the White House on Wednesday.  

'She gave the president-elect a handwritten letter of congratulations for Melania, which also expressed her team's readiness to assist with the transition,' the East Wing said. 

Traditionally, when the outgoing president hosts the incoming president-elect in the Oval Office for a post-election meeting, the first lady hosts her successor for tea in the residence.

But Melania Trump declined to attend Wednesday's White House gathering, as DailyMail.com exclusively reported earlier this week. 

The former first lady has a conflicting appointment involving her best-selling memoir 'Melania,' sources told DailyMail.com.

Melania's office confirmed her absence and said in a statement: 'Her husband’s return to the Oval Office to commence the transition process is encouraging, and she wishes him great success.'

However, it was unclear what was meant by this statement: 'In this instance, several unnamed sources in the media continue to provide false, misleading, and inaccurate information. Be discerning with your source of news.'

There is a long history of first ladies hosting their successors - with one recent and notable exception. 

While Michelle Obama hosted Melania Trump in the aftermath of the 2016 election, Melania Trump did not meet with Jill Biden after the contentious 2020 race as Donald Trump falsely and repeatedly claimed he was the true winner.

Read More

Trump tells Biden 'politics is tough' as they hold historic White House meeting

Melania and Jill have yet to speak in the aftermath of Kamala Harris' humiliating defeat, even though their husbands had a cordial phone call, sources confirm.

The last time Jill Biden and Melania Trump would have seen each other would have been at Rosalynn Carter's funeral in November of last year. All living former first ladies attended.

There have been numerous reports Melania Trump intends to be a part time first lady for her second term and may not even live full time at the White House. She has yet to announce an agenda or any staff hires. 

Four years ago, Donald Trump snubbed Joe Biden after Biden defeated him, refusing to invite him for the traditional Oval Office meeting and delaying the transition process. Melania Trump followed her husband's lead and didn't reach out to Jill Biden.

The Bidens, however, have promised a peaceful and orderly transition to the upcoming Trump Administration.  

Donald Trump and Joe Biden  met Wednesday morning in the Oval Office.

The incoming president thanked the outgoing president for ensuring a smooth transition and said politics is 'tough.'

Biden, 81, congratulated the president-elect and said 'welcome back' as they sat down for talks in the Oval Office.

The meeting, which many had expected would be tense and awkward, started off cozily with the two men seated before a roaring fire. 

Trump wore a red tie and Biden sported a maroon one. Some of the country's greatest presidents - Franklin D. Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln and George Washington - stared down on them from portraits on the wall. 

A short glimpse the public got of them was cordial, with each calling the other by their first name. They shook hands. Harris, Biden's vice president who Trump defeated, was not present nor was she mentioned.

Biden was in the unusual position of greeting the man who both preceded him, and will replace him, in the White House. Trump won in a landslide on November 5, taking the popular vote and Electoral College, and sweeping the seven key swing states.

'Well Mr. President-elect, Donald, congratulations,' Biden said. 'I look forward to having a smooth transition.'

The Bidens will attend Trump's inauguration in January 2025, according to the White House.

Traditionally, the outgoing president welcomes the incoming one to the White House on the morning of the inauguration before riding together in the same vehicle to the Capitol building for the swearing in. 

Trump rode with then-President Barack Obama to his own inauguration. Biden attended that inauguration in his role as outgoing vice president.

But, in 2020, Trump became the first president to skip his predecessor's swearing-in so since Andrew Johnson skipped the 1869 swearing-in of Ulysses S. Grant.

Biden simply went to the Capitol from the hotel where he was staying and didn't go to the White House until he had taken the oath of office.

Donald and Melania Trump left the White House about 10 am the morning of Biden's Inauguration Day.

Melania Trump is working on a transition and showing some signs of building up an East Wing office.

John Rogers, a top executive with Goldman Sachs and member of the White House Historical Association board, will help Melania Trump staff up the East Wing, Semafor reported. 

Rogers helped Melania with staffing issues during the first Trump term. He has been involved in Republican politics going back to Ronald Reagan's presidency.  

But it still unclear how active she'll be or where she'll live. 

Currently the incoming first lady resides in New York City, as son Barron attends New York University. Her memoir, Melania, is a New York Times bestseller. 

She was not deeply involved with the campaign. She attended the Republican National Convention but didn't speak. She did not attend any of the presidential debates.

She did speak at one Trump campaign rally - the one he held in October in Madison Square Garden. 

Her absence during Donald Trump's many legal cases was notable. 

During the first Trump administration, Melania delayed her move to Washington D.C. to allow Barron to finish his school year. 

She was not a heavily involved first lady given her son was still in grade school.