Donald Trump spoke with Joe Biden on Wednesday and promised a transition of power “as smooth as possible” as the outgoing president pledged to devote every resource of his administration to paving the way for his successor. .
The two longtime political rivals, who will have to work together again to exchange the reins of power, shook hands when they met in the Oval Office. Mr. Biden introduced Mr. Trump as the former president and now the president-elect, and congratulated Mr. Trump on his victory.
“As I said, we're looking forward to a smooth transition. We're doing everything we can to make sure we have what you need and we'll have an opportunity to talk about that today.” said Mr. Biden. “Welcome back.”
President Trump expressed gratitude for the warm welcome he received at the White House despite his many scathing comments against Biden over the years.
“Politics is tough and often it's not a very good world, but it's a good world today. We very much appreciate a very smooth transition. It's going to be as smooth as possible.” Thank you very much I am, Joe,” President Trump said.
Reporters tried to shout questions to Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump, but both men ignored their questions. The meeting continued for at least an hour even after reporters were taken from the Oval Office.
Ahead of his meeting with Biden, Trump addressed House Republicans at the Capitol, congratulating his party on last week's up-and-down votes and hinting that he may seek a third term as president. .
“I don't think I'll ever run again unless you say, 'He's fine, he has to think about something else,'” Trump said, drawing laughter from Republicans in the audience. .
Trump repeatedly said, floated The idea is to extend the term of office, even though the US Constitution prohibits presidents from serving a third term.
Elon Musk also reportedly joined Trump by sitting in the front row at a meeting with House Republicans. attendees. On Tuesday, President Trump named Musk and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy to co-lead the new Department of Government Efficiency. The announcement heightened concerns about how Trump and Musk, known for their slash-and-burn tactics to cut corporate costs, will overhaul the federal workforce.
Introducing President Trump on Wednesday, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson praised the president-elect as a “unique figure in American history.”
“They called Bill Clinton the Comeback Kid. [Trump] He’s the comeback king,” Johnson said.
As of Wednesday, Republicans already had a majority in the Senate, but remained in control of the House of Representatives as votes continued to be counted in 12 open races. But House Republicans appear poised to win a narrow majority.
President Trump has tapped Republicans to serve in his cabinet, including Florida Sen. Marco Rubio as secretary of state, New York congressman Elise Stefanik as ambassador to the United Nations, and Florida congressman Mike Walz as secretary of state. has been nominated. Security advisor. Republicans currently hold a four-seat majority in the House of Representatives, and if the current vote count holds, the Republican speaker will also have a four-seat majority in 2025.
Mr Johnson said: He predicted that Republicans would ultimately have a majority. But that majority shrinks every time Republicans appoint or resign from the House, as North Dakota Gov.-elect Kelly Armstrong must do.
“We are ashamed of our wealth,” Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Tuesday. “We have a really talented Republican conference. We have some really talented, capable people here, many of whom could serve in very important positions in the new administration, but Trump The president fully understands and appreciates the math here, and it's just a numbers game.”
Wednesday's meeting between Biden and Trump reflects a return to traditional transfers of power after the practice was somewhat abandoned in 2020. Following the painful outcome of the 2020 election, Trump avoided talks after losing to Biden.
Melania Trump was also invited to meet with First Lady Jill Biden, but she declined the invitation. The White House said the first lady provided Trump's team with a “handwritten letter of congratulations to him” and expressed her team's readiness to support the transition.
