U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and President Joe Biden, longtime political rivals, met on Wednesday for the first time since Trump won back the White House last week and both promised a smooth transfer of power in January.
The two American leaders sat side by side before a roaring fire in the Oval Office, a peaceful scene that belied tensions between them.
The meeting ended after roughly two hours, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said.
"It was a substantive meeting," she told reporters. "They discussed important national security and domestic policy issues facing the nation and the world."
Biden said that support for Ukraine was in the United States' national security interest because a strong and stable Europe would keep America from being dragged into war, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters. Trump has pledged to end the Russia-Ukraine war quickly without explaining how.
Trump told the New York Post he and Biden "talked very much about the Middle East" during their conversation. "I wanted to know his views on where we are," Trump said. "And he gave them to me, he was very gracious," the Post quoted Trump as saying.
A Democrat, Biden defeated Trump in the 2020 election but dropped out of the 2024 race in July after a disastrous debate with the Republican Trump. Vice President Kamala Harris became the candidate but lost to Trump.
"We're looking forward to having, like we said, a smooth transition, do everything we can to make sure you're accommodated, what you need," Biden said. "Welcome, welcome back."
"Politics is tough, and it's 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, Joe," said Trump, who takes over on Jan. 20.
Reporters shouted questions but were quickly ushered out.
The traditional courtesy of welcoming the president-elect into the Oval Office is one that Trump did not extend when Biden won in 2020.
It was a sharp contrast to the criticism the two men have hurled at each other for years. Their respective teams hold vastly different positions on policies from climate change to Russia to trade.
During the meeting, Biden pushed his priorities for Congress' lame-duck session, including funding the government and providing additional funds for disaster relief, Jean-Pierre said. Biden's chief of staff Jeff Zients and Trump's, Susie Wiles, joined the meeting.
"He believes in the norms, he believes in our institution, he believes in the peaceful transfer of power," the White House spokesperson said of Biden's decision to invite Trump.
First lady Jill Biden joined Biden in greeting Trump on his arrival. The White House said she gave Trump a handwritten letter of congratulations for his wife, Melania Trump, who did not attend, and "expressed her team’s readiness to assist with the transition."
Biden, 81, has portrayed Trump as a threat to democracy, while Trump, 78, has portrayed Biden as incompetent. Trump made false claims of widespread fraud after losing the 2020 election to Biden.
TRUMP MEETS REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS
Trump celebrated his victory earlier in the day with Republicans in the House of Representatives who have a good chance of maintaining control of the chamber as Nov 5 election results trickle in.
"Isn't it nice to win? It's nice to win. It's always nice to win," Trump said. "The House did very well."
Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk joined Trump at the meeting with Republican lawmakers. Trump on Tuesday named Musk to a role co-leading a newly created Department of Government Efficiency, handing even more influence to the world's richest man who donated millions of dollars to help Trump get elected.
Outside the White House gates, signs of the impending power transfer were evident with construction already under way for the stands for VIP guests to sit during the parade that will take place after Trump is inaugurated. Dozens of White House staff members gathered on an outdoor stairwell to glimpse Trump's arrival.
© Thomson Reuters 2024.
33 Comments
Underworld
So why couldn’t Trump do this when Biden won in 2020…?
dagon
Seriously doubt it was substantive.
The Dems needed a fighter, check out Sanders dissection of why they lost.
https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2024/11/06/2024-election-results-live-coverage-updates-analysis/bernie-sanders-election-response-00187980
Trump has always been fearful of him, he is the Anti-Trump.
https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2016-36401179
After all that was said and done by Trump, Biden and Harris go quietly into the night.
falseflagsteve
What a charming photo, they both look rather happy don’t they? Did they finish off with some ice cream which Mr Biden rather enjoys.
Jay
Great to hear things were “smooth”, but I can only imagine Reuter's definition of smooth was Biden not forgetting the room he’s in and shouting banalities at reporters.
I love a bit of Joe - who doesn't? - but watching the Far Left prop up this elderly gentleman, whose cognitive decline over the last 4+ years has been painfully obvious, was heart-wrenching.
At this point, they’re not “transferring power” - they’re setting up a caretaker.
wallace
Tatemae
sakurasuki
It will be smooth of course, since nothing Dems can do by now, except blaming why the lost.
https://www.newsweek.com/democrats-continue-blame-joe-biden-post-election-fallout-1983131
Primusinter
How can you believe this idyll? How much dirt they poured on each other during the election campaign!!! Therefore, there is no trust in Trump either. He won't do anything good for achieving peace. So, don't relax.
NCIS Reruns
Americans must now live according to the Pottery Barn rule: You break it, you bought it.
Tokyo Guy
Americans must now live according to the Pottery Barn rule: You break it, you bought it.
Except now it's "you break it, you blame the other side, even though you're on video dropping it, and your supporters believe that the other side hit you with an invisible Jewish space laser causing you to drop it".
Underworld
sakurasuki
Better than whining that you didn’t lose for four years like a sore loser…
stormcrow
Leave it to Biden and the Democrats to teach Trump and the Republicans how to accept defeat gracefully.
wallace
They hate each other intensely.
bass4funk
No one is paying attention to anything Sanders is saying
Trump has never been fearful of Sanders, now sure where you got that ruse. Lol
As they should
stormcrow
No lies.
No whining.
No riots.
No mobs trashing the Capitol.
That’s what you can expect from President Biden.
Antiquesaving
Perhaps Biden but unless you have been deliberately avoiding the news, the Dems and Harris's speech are all saying they are going to make the transition difficult, they are promoting discord right down to telling families to ban members that didn't vote Harris, they are calling over half the country stupid, uneducated, racist, sexists, etc...
So don't confuse Biden acting properly with the Dems doing it.
Biden is out he is going to go peacefully despite the left blaming him.
The rest of the Dems fringe that controls are out in force trying to make as much trouble as possible right down to trying to break up families.
Underworld
Antiquesaving
The Dems are so much more gracious in defeat. Harris called up Trump to congratulate him and had a concession speech.
What did Trump do?
Whine that the election was stolen and rigged for four years like a sore loser…
PTownsend
A band I still enjoy listening to is called "old and in the Way", that's how I feel when I see those two together.
Antiquesaving
Really? You mean "Trump voters are sexist, racist, etc.." despite exist polls showing most voted on the economy?
Not lies????
Check out the view, MSNBC, CNN, etc.. every Harris supporter and pundit is on blaming racist and sexist Hispanics, Black men, white women, white men, etc... oh and Biden.
Really? Wait a bit, they left is already calling for protests on January 6th and before and once those black hoods from Antifa show up, take a guess what follows.
See my above reply to your other point.
But not what we can expect from the fringe left that control the Dems today.
stormcrow
Antiquesaving,
What Harris is doing and what Trump did on January 6th are two completely different things . . . And you know it!
Harris isn’t encouraging an angry mob to commit treason by attacking the capital.
Jimizo
Two men in serious mental decline there.
Trump may have asked about how his Tesla business is doing.
Antiquesaving
Well I guess it goes with the Dems territory spreading lies as usual.
JJE
Somewhat ironic that behind Biden on the right is a bust of Robert Kennedy, whose son helped deliver this office to the man sitting next to him.
WoodyLee
Never thought the two will meet but here it is.
Democracy or not it worked, let us hope that in 4 years Trump will do the same with the next Elect Pres.
Ricky Kaminski13
Now that's a photo for the history books and posterity! Beautiful! Joe looks quite bemused! Good onya Joe.
Coulda been
@JJE 10.05am
The only thing Kennedy did was self-serving. What a chameleon.
Ricky Kaminski13
The appointments are already announced, 8 DAYS after the results are in. Stunning.
The four-year leftist tears festival on display with the comments above is just a side bonus at this point. I reckon it'll be a generation though before the Dems manage to recover, never mind set their sights on their precious power again, especially watching the reaction from the losing side. Nothing has been learned, like nada.
When things get better, woke bureaucrats are sent packing, border secured, wars end, and business thrives that'll only infuriate them more.
Enjoy the ride, good people.
And to go back to the announcements and appointments, the formation of Vivek and Musks DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency ) is just gonna be next-level awesome. A lot of DEI appointments having some very sleepless nights.
Underworld
Ricky Kaminski13
The DOGE is just a way of giving something to his loyal Musk and Vivek, but at the same time getting them out of the way.
Ricky Kaminski13
Stay under dude. It's just whining at this point. We get it, the need to dismiss, delegitimize and denigrate is very real. Three Ds, just made that up! ;P
Underworld
Ricky Kaminski13
Nope. Just pointing it out.
Ricky Kaminski13
As is your god given right! Have a great day. I mean it.
Chuck
Wrong article! But answers are still welcome.
Dango bong
write down the price of milk, gasoline, electricity and write down the stock market price today.
4 years from ow they will all be MUCH better
Jimizo
I don’t know about that.
Overall, the last two Republican administrations left the economy in a flaming wreck.
Unlucky or incompetent? Both?