Joe Biden tells Donald Trump 'welcome back' at White House, US president-elect lauds smooth transition (WATCH)
US President-elect Donald Trump met with current President Joe Biden at the White House on Wednesday, marking a rare public encounter between the two political figures.
FollowUS President-elect Donald Trump met with current President Joe Biden at the White House on Wednesday, marking a rare public encounter between the two political figures. Reporters were briefly allowed into the room, capturing a short exchange between the leaders.
"We’re looking forward to having, like we said, a smooth transition, do everything we can make sure you’re accommodated, what you need, and we’re going to get a chance to talk about some of that today. Welcome, welcome back," said Joe Biden in his opening remarks to Trump.
In response, Trump, who was seated beside Biden, acknowledged the difficulty of politics but expressed appreciation for the peaceful transition of power. “Politics is tough, and in many cases, not a very nice world, but it is a nice world today,” Trump remarked. He went on to thank Biden for the smoothness of the transition.
"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," he added.
Biden simply said, “You’re welcome,” as the brief interaction came to a close.
The two men were seated near the fireplace, and despite questions shouted by the press, neither Trump nor Biden offered further comments or engaged with reporters. As the brief moment concluded, the press was asked to leave the room.
Wednesday's meeting marked the first time the two leaders met since Biden's 2020 presidential election win, with Trump previously refusing to acknowledge Biden's victory and attempting to block his inauguration.
Despite spending the past four years denouncing each other, Biden reached out to Trump shortly after his victory last Tuesday to arrange a meeting with the Republican.
Earlier today, Trump joked about running for a third term as president, during an address to House Republicans in Washington DC.
“I suspect I won’t be running again, unless you say, he’s good, we got to figure something else,” Trump said.
The Constitution prohibits Trump from running for re-election, as he has already served one term in office from 2017 to 2021.
In the recently concluded US Presidential Elections, Donald Trump make a stunning political comeback by winning 312 electoral votes in comparison to Kamala Harris' 226 electoral votes.
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