Washington: United States President-elect Donald Trump has been welcomed to the White House by outgoing President Joe Biden as part of a traditional transition meeting, media reports said on Wednesday.
US President Joe Biden met with President-elect Donald Trump in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., on November 13, Al Jazeera reported.
The meeting between the two rivals in the Oval Office on Wednesday comes after a confrontational election campaign, in which Biden dropped out over the summer following a disastrous debate performance against Trump, the report said.
According to media reports, the two men greeted each other with a handshake in front of the cameras, as Biden told Trump he looked forward to a “peaceful transition”.
“I look forward to having a smooth transition and do everything we can to make sure you are accommodated, what you need. We’re going to get a chance to talk about some of that today,” Biden said to Trump, in front of a roaring fireplace. “Welcome back.”
“Politics is tough, and in many cases, it’s not a very nice world,” Trump added.
“It is a nice world today and I appreciate very much a transition that’s so smooth, it will be as smooth as it can get.”
Biden and Trump were expected to discuss several important matters during their meeting, which comes almost two months ahead of the president-elect’s inauguration on January 20, Al Jazeera reported.
Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, announced that the meeting will focus on top domestic and foreign policy issues, including Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
However, Kamala Harris, the Democratic vice president and successor, lost out to Trump in the November 5 election by a significant margin.
“And the president will have the chance to explain to President Trump how he sees things… and talk to President Trump about how President Trump is thinking about taking on these issues when he takes office.”
According to reports, the meeting between Biden and Trump marked a sharp turn of events from four years ago when Biden defeated Trump in the 2020 presidential election.
Trump disputed the election results and refused to host a transition meeting with Biden or attend his inauguration.
UNI
