President-elect Donald Trump met with President Joe Biden at the White House on Wednesday, marking their first official meeting since Trump’s victory over Vice President Kamala Harris in the November 5 election. The two leaders shared a handshake and exchanged light-hearted remarks, with Trump joking about “hounding reporters” who were present for the brief interaction.
Video: Trump and Biden joke about hounding reporters
As Trump settled near the fireplace, President Biden extended his congratulations. “Well, Mr. President-elect, Donald, congratulations. I look forward to having a smooth transition,” Biden said warmly.
Trump, acknowledging the significance of the moment, responded, “Politics is tough. In many cases, it’s not a nice world, but it is a nice world today.” The president-elect, who had been vocal about the contentious election campaign, added, “It will be as smooth as it can get, and I very much appreciate that, Joe.”
Trump, flying from Florida, arrived at a military base near the Capitol, meeting up with billionaire Elon Musk for a morning session with House Republicans as Trump prepares for a potentially unified Republican government and sweep of power.
Back in Washington for the first time since his election victory, Trump told the GOP lawmakers, “It’s nice to win.”
Trump received a standing ovation from House Republicans, many of whom took cellphone videos of him as ran through their party’s victories up and down the ballot, in what would be, under the constitutional limits, his final presidential election.
“I suspect I won’t be running again unless you say he’s good we got to figure something else,” Trump said to laughter from the lawmakers.
It’s a stunning return to the U.S. seat of government for the former president, who departed nearly four years ago a diminished, politically defeated leader after the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol but is preparing to come back to power with what he and his GOP allies see as a mandate for governance.
“He is the comeback king,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., before Trump’s arrival. “We owe him a great debt of gratitude.”
The private meetings, including his sit-down with Biden, put in stark relief the former president’s comeback. Trump’s reemergence comes amid Republican congressional leadership elections, with the potential for him to place his imprint on the outcome.
Trump endorsed Johnson’s return to the speaker’s office with the president-elect saying he is with Johnson all the way, according to a person familiar with the remarks but not authorized to publicly discuss the private meeting.
Musk has been spending much of his time at Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s Florida estate, and participating in discussions as the incoming Trump administration prepares to transition from Biden’s.
The Tesla and SpaceX CEO, was named by Trump to a government efficiency advisory role. Musk, Some close to Trump and his team now see Musk as the second most influential figure in Trump’s immediate orbit, after Susie Wiles, the campaign manager who is Trump’s incoming chief of staff.
Johnson has said Republicans are “ready to deliver on Trump’s ”America First” agenda.
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