The elected president of the United States, Donald Trump, returned to the White House and thanked the outgoing president, Joe Biden, for facilitating a peaceful transition between administrations. Both leaders, who have been political rivals, met to initiate this process with cordial statements before the press in the Oval Office. Biden welcomed Trump and assured him that his team would provide everything necessary for him to assume power on January 20.
In his first words in the Oval Office, Trump acknowledged that politics can be tough, but emphasized that this was a good day. During their meeting, they discussed topics such as the situation in Ukraine and the situation of Israeli hostages in Gaza. The White House National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, mentioned that Biden conveyed to Trump the importance of supporting Kiev as part of America's national security interests.
In addition to their meeting at the White House, Trump met with Republican lawmakers at a hotel near the Capitol, where he was accompanied by Elon Musk. Although the meeting between Trump and Biden had an official character, the former's campaign took the opportunity to send an email requesting donations from his supporters. During his meeting with the lawmakers, Biden joked about the possibility of running for reelection, highlighting that he would no longer be able to do so due to the two-term limit in the United States.
This meeting at the White House was the first public encounter between the two leaders since the elections, while Trump has avoided returning to the Capitol since the assault that occurred in January 2021. With Republicans securing full control of Congress after the elections, it is expected that the transition between administrations will continue smoothly.
