After about four months since the presidential TV debate, Donald Trump, the President-elect of the United States, met with President Joe Biden at the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on November 13, 2024, to discuss power transition plans.
The two sat in chairs in front of the Oval Office’s fireplace, shook hands, and began their conversation. This visit to the Oval Office by President-elect Trump marks his first return in about three years and ten months since he left office on January 20, 2021.
This meeting was arranged after President Biden invited the incoming president, Trump. Unlike the situation four years ago, following the 2020 presidential election, where a meeting between then-President Trump and President-elect Biden did not occur due to Trump’s refusal to concede, this meeting took place cordially.
During the meeting, President Biden congratulated Trump on his election victory, expressed hope for a smooth transition of power, and pledged his utmost support, saying, “We have an opportunity to discuss this today.”
In response, President-elect Trump expressed his gratitude, acknowledging that “politics is tough, and not every day is good, but today is a good day,” and he appreciated the smooth transition process. He added that the transition would proceed as smoothly as possible.
Earlier that morning, President-elect Trump left his residence in Mar-a-Lago, Palm Beach, Florida, following his election victory and arrived at Joint Base Andrews near Washington after a two-hour flight. His wife Melania was not present when he disembarked from his private plane at 9:36 AM.
Melania received an invitation from First Lady Jill Biden to visit the White House but declined, citing prior commitments. Before meeting with President Biden, President-elect Trump spoke at a gathering in Congress, where Republican House members were electing new leaders.
At the Republican House members’ meeting, he stated that “winning is always great,” boasting that the Republican Party achieved “historical-level numbers” by securing a majority in the popular vote across seven battleground states.