Trump and Biden Hold 2-Hour 'Transition' Meeting... "Cordial Atmosphere"

AP Yonhap News

President-elect Donald Trump met with President Joe Biden to discuss a smooth transition of power.

On the 13th (local time), the two began their conversation after shaking hands in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington D.C. This meeting was their first in over four months since the presidential candidate debate hosted by CNN in June, and it was the first time in about 3 years and 10 months since Trump visited the Oval Office after leaving the presidency in January 2021.

President Biden invited President-elect Trump in keeping with the White House tradition of a peaceful transfer of power. After the 2020 election, a meeting did not take place because then-President Trump did not concede the election results to then-President-elect Biden.

On this day, President Biden congratulated President-elect Trump on his election victory and said, "I look forward to a smooth transition of power. I will do my best to help meet the necessary needs. Welcome back to the White House." President-elect Trump responded, "Thank you very much. Politics is difficult, and many times it’s not always good days. But today is a good day," adding, "I am grateful that the transition is going very smoothly."

President-elect Trump said he discussed the Ukraine war and Middle East issues with President Biden. President Biden presented securing disaster relief supplemental budget and other matters as key agendas to be addressed before his departure in January next year. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre conveyed in a briefing that the approximately two-hour meeting was "very cordial, dignified, and substantive."

Also present at the meeting were White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients and Susie Wiles, whom President-elect Trump had nominated as his first White House Chief of Staff. Before meeting with President Biden, President-elect Trump visited the U.S. Congress, where Republican House members gathered to elect new leadership, and gave a speech.

Meanwhile, Melania Trump, wife of President-elect Trump, was also invited to the White House by First Lady Jill Biden but did not attend due to a prior commitment.