By President Joe Biden welcomed President-elect Donald Trump to the White House Wednesday for a two-hour meeting focused on ensuring a peaceful transfer of power, marking Trump’s first return to the executive mansion since leaving office in 2021.
“I’m looking forward to having a smooth transition and we’re looking forward to talking about some of that today,” Biden said before their private discussion. Trump responded with unusual cordiality: “Politics is tough and in many cases it’s not a very nice world. It is a nice world today and I very much appreciate that, Joe.”
The meeting, traditionally offered by outgoing presidents to their successors, stood in sharp contrast to the transition after Biden’s 2020 victory, when Trump declined to invite Biden to the White House and departed Washington before the inauguration — the first such snub since 1869.
First Lady Jill Biden joined in welcoming Trump, providing a congratulatory letter for Melania Trump, who was absent from the visit. The former first lady’s plans regarding returning to the White House remain unclear.
As the transition begins, Trump moved swiftly to fill key administration positions, announcing several high-profile appointments Wednesday:
– Florida Sen. Marco Rubio as Secretary of State
– Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz as Attorney General
– Former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence
– Fox News host Pete Hegseth as Defense Secretary
– South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem as Homeland Security Secretary
– John Ratcliffe as CIA Director
Trump also named billionaire Elon Musk and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy to lead a new Department of Government Efficiency, dubbed DOGE in reference to Musk’s preferred cryptocurrency.
White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre described the Biden-Trump meeting as “substantive,” saying the leaders discussed “important national security and domestic policy issues facing the nation and the world.” The cordial tone marks a significant shift from July, when Biden ended his reelection campaign after a poor debate performance against Trump, who later defeated Vice President Kamala Harris in the November election.
Additional appointments include William McGinley as White House counsel, Rep. Michael Waltz as national security adviser, and Thomas Homan as “border czar,” tasked with leading deportation efforts targeting undocumented migrants.
Biden has indicated he will attend Trump’s January inauguration, further emphasizing the commitment to peaceful transition that both men stressed during their meeting.
