Trump thanks Biden for 'smooth transition' in White House meeting
WASHINGTON - President-elect Donald Trump returned to Washington on Wednesday, entering the White House for the first time since he was voted out of office, to meet with President Joe Biden for a ceremony meant to signal the peaceful transfer of power.
The two men appeared briefly for photos, with Biden speaking first and calling for a smooth transition.
Trump responded that politics "is tough" but thanked the president for a smooth transition. “You’re welcome,” Biden responded. They did not respond to shouted questions from reporters.
Trump and Biden next met privately for a “substantive” sit-down that lasted more than 90 minutes and saw the president and his successor dive into a range of pressing foreign and domestic policy issues. According to White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, Trump and Biden discussed the war in Gaza and the hostages taken captive by Hamas militants during the Oct. 7 attack, and the war in Ukraine. Trump, on the campaign trail, promised to bring to end the war if re-elected.
Trump and Biden also discussed government funding and emergency disaster assistance and how to ensure an “orderly” and “peaceful” transfer of power, Jean-Pierre said.
She told reporters that Trump came with a list of detailed questions.
Trump was also greeted by first lady Jill Biden, who gave him a handwritten letter of congratulations for Melania Trump, which also expressed her team’s readiness to assist with the transition, according to her office.
One unanswered question is whether Vice President-elect JD Vance will be a part of Wednesday’s trip to Washington. As of Tuesday evening, a source familiar with discussions said, Vance has yet to hear from Harris about any kind of outreach about a potential visit or otherwise since the election last week.
Trump has been in Florida since Election Day, surrounded by allies and advisers as he begins rolling out a list of Cabinet and other prize appointments stacked with loyalists. Trump returns to Washington to bask in the glow of his party's sweeping electoral success, having secured control of the Senate and possibly the House, too.
The White House extended invitations to both Trumps, two White House officials said. In 2016, Melania Trump accepted the invitation and met with first lady Michelle Obama. This year, she did not accompany her husband.
Top staffers from the White House and Trump's transition team are expected to meet, Biden and Trump officials said. Several of Trump’s senior staffers who will join him in the White House traveled with the incoming president's motorcade this morning.
Trump on Wednesday announced more senior staff set to join his White House team: Dan Scavino as deputy chief of staff; Stephen Miller as deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security adviser; James Blair as deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs; and Taylor Budowich as deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel. (Source: NBC News)