Welcome back, says Biden as he receives Trump in Oval Office

Washington, Nov 13 (IANS): President Joe Biden received President-elect Donald Trump to the Oval Office at the White House on Wednesday in a customary gesture marking the peaceful transfer of power that had not been shown to him four years ago by the latter.

“Welcome, welcome back,” Biden said to Trump at the start of their meeting.

“Politics is tough,” Trump responded. “And in many cases not a very nice world, but it is a nice world today, and I appreciate very much a transition that's so smooth, it'll be as smooth as it can get. And I very much appreciate that.”

A more detailed readout of their conversation is awaited.

The practice of the sitting President receiving their incoming successor signals the start of a peaceful transfer of power, which is completed with the inauguration of the new President on January 21 with the ceremonial swearing-in on the steps of the Capitol.

Trump had refused to accord Biden the same meeting in 2020, as he had refused to accept the verdict that he had lost. And, in fact, in January a crowd of his supporters had raided the Capitol to prevent a joint sitting of congress from certifying Biden’s victory. He had also refused to attend Biden’s inauguration and had left the same morning for his resort home in Palm Beach, Florida.

Biden also told Trump in remarks before the meeting that his administration would “do everything we can to make sure (of) accommodating what you need”.

The transition from one administration to another is a massive effort with over 4,000 federal government vacancies left by the outgoing administration to be filled by the incoming President and campaigns usually have a long and detailed transition plan ready much in advance.

Trump has started filling the top positions and has announced a string of nominees for the cabinet in the last few days -- Pete Hegseth for secretary of defense, Kristi Noem for secretary of homeland security -- and other positions in the White House like Susie Wiles as chief of staff and Mike Waltz as the national security adviser.