President Joe Biden has welcomed former and now future President Donald Trump to the White House as part of the transition of power between the two leaders.
CNN reported that the last time Trump was in the Oval Office he wrote a two-page letter to Biden when the current president took office, leaving it in the Resolute Desk.
Biden greeted Trump on Wednesday, saying, “Well, Mr. President-elect, former president, Donald,” sitting next to each other, then added, “Congratulations.”
Biden said he looks forward to a “smooth transition” between the administrations.
Trump then made a brief statement to the gaggle and Biden, saying that “politics is tough” and that the world isn’t always nice “but it is a nice world today, and I appreciate it very much,” The Associated Press reported.
It is a long tradition that the incoming president is invited by the outgoing one, a tradition that Trump did not continue when the situation was reversed four years ago, the AP reported.
Neither Biden nor Trump answered questions yelled by the media after the statement was made.
Melania Trump did not accompany her husband on the visit. Typically the current first lady invites the incoming spouse. Jill Biden issued the invitation but Melania Trump did not accept it because of a previous commitment for her new book. Instead, Jill Biden gave the president-elect a handwritten letter of congratulations to give to his wife, showing that the current first lady is ready to have her team work with the Trump transition team, CNN reported.
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