Joe Biden met with Donald Trump at the White House on Wednesday, promising the incumbent president a "smooth transition" of power when he takes over the Oval Office in January. In a video from their meeting, the two appeared cordial while discussing the situation. "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."
Trump responded to his opponent from 2020: "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." White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre later confirmed to Reuters that the two spoke for roughly two hours. "It was a substantive meeting," she told reporters. "They discussed important national security and domestic policy issues facing the nation and the world."
Joe Biden Meets With Donald Trump
As for the topic of the rest of their conversation, Trump told the New York Post they "talked very much about the Middle East," adding that he "wanted to know his views on where we are. And he gave them to me, he was very gracious." Biden originally beat Trump in the 2020 election, but afterward, Trump didn't invite Biden for a meeting at the White House, as had been tradition. As for why Biden didn't take the same path, Jean-Pierre explained: "He believes in the norms, he believes in our institution, he believes in the peaceful transfer of power."
Joe Biden Promises Peaceful Transition Of Power
The meeting comes after Trump defeated Biden's vice president, Kamala Harris, during the 2024 presidential election. Harris replaced him on the ticket after he dropped out of the race, earlier this year. Check out a portion of Joe Biden and Donald Trump's meeting below.
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