Updated Nov 13, 2024 - Politics & Policy

Trump returns to White House, meets with Biden

Ivana Saric

Joe Biden shakes hands with US President-elect Donald Trump during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on November 13 — Joe Biden shakes hands with Donald Trump during a meeting in the Oval Office on Nov. 13. Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

President Biden hosted President-elect Trump for a meeting at the White House Wednesday, just over a week since Trump resoundingly won the 2024 election.

Why it matters: The traditional meeting between the incoming and outgoing presidents came after Biden vowed to uphold a peaceful transition of power.

The big picture: Biden welcomed Trump and said he looked forward to a smooth transition between the administrations.

Trump thanked Biden and remarked on the toughness of politics, per a White House pool report.
First Lady Jill Biden helped greet Trump when he arrived at the White House and relayed a letter for Melania Trump expressing "her team's readiness to assist with the transition," per a pool report.

Zoom out: This is the first U.S. presidential transition meeting in eight years.

Trump refused to host Biden in 2020 while challenging the results of the 2020 election.
The last high-profile meeting between the two men was during the presidential debate in June, during which Biden lambasted Trump as a convicted felon with "the morals of an alley cat."
Throughout the 2024 race, Democrats sought to paint Trump as a threat to democracy and even a fascist.

State of play: Ahead of his meeting with Biden, Trump attended a closed-door meeting with House Republicans Wednesday.

Editor's note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated.

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Trump returns to White House, meets with Biden

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