WASHINGTON − Four years after leaving the White House in fury as he refused to accept his 2020 election defeat, President-elect Donald Trump returned to his old and future home Wednesday.
Trump met with President Joe Biden in the Oval Office for nearly two hours as the outgoing president did what Trump wouldn’t four years ago − extend a helping hand and embrace a peaceful transfer of power. Trump addressed congressional Republicans earlier in the day on Capitol Hill.
The image of Trump sitting next to Biden, shaking hands, marked an extraordinary moment that crystallized Trump’s remarkable comeback: from a twice-impeached, four-times-indicted former president − whose supporters waged a violent insurrection at the Capitol − to the soon-to-be 47th president.
Here are five takeaways from Trump’s brief swing through Washington Wednesday.
Bitter rivals play nice in front of cameras
Biden, his face tilted downward, seemed to struggle to look Trump in the eyes while shaking the hand of his predecessor − and soon to be successor − at the beginning of their highly anticipated meeting.
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Nevertheless, the two men played nice in front of the cameras. Biden congratulated Trump − calling him “the president-elect,” the “former president” and “Donald” − and Trump thanked Biden for his hospitality.
“Politics is tough, and it’s in many cases not a very nice world, but it is a nice world today, and I appreciate it very much,” Trump said. “A transition that’s so smooth, it will be as smooth as it can get. And I very much appreciate that, Joe.”
The meeting began at 11:07 a.m. ET and ended shortly before 1 p.m ET. Trump, who will be sworn into office Jan. 20, left without addressing hundreds of reporters who gathered outside the West Wing.
Both hid their well-documented disdain for each other publicly. Biden has previously called Trump “unhinged,” “a loser” and, most notably, a “threat to democracy.” Trump long ago nicknamed Biden “sleepy Joe,” mocking him as senile, “stupid” and “low-IQ.”
More:Biden-Trump meeting live updates: Latest news from the White House transition talks
Still, Biden and Trump even shared a laugh with each other at the expense of one group neither is too fond of: the press. As reporters shouted questions, the two presidents smiled at each other, nodded in the direction of reporters and appeared to exchange words.
After Trump departed, the White House released a photo of Trump, Biden and first lady Jill Biden each smiling in front of a camera after the first couple greeted the incoming president’s arrival.
Trump brings ‘detailed set of questions’
What Biden and Trump said to each other during the two-hour meeting wasn’t immediately clear. Reporters were allowed in the Oval Office for just a couple of minutes, and the White House offered few details about what was said behind closed doors.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre described the meeting as “substantive” and said that “a lot was discussed.” Trump came to the meeting with a “detailed set of questions,” she said. But she wouldn’t say exactly what those questions were.
The two presidents did discuss national security and domestic policy issues facing the nation and the world, Jean-Pierre said.
That apparently included the war in Ukraine.
White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters that Biden reinforced his belief that the United States should stand with Ukraine in its war with Russia. Biden also stressed that a strong and stable Europe is in the United States’ interests and will keep the country from getting dragged directly into a future war, Sullivan said.
Trump, who in the past has praised Russian President Vladimir Putin, has claimed that he could end the war in Ukraine in one day, though he has never said exactly how he planned to do that. He spoke with both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky by phone after his victory in last week’s election and reportedly advised the Russian leader not to escalate the war.
Besides national security, Biden also talked to Trump about important items on the to-do list for Congress for its lame-duck session, including funding the government and providing the money he has requested for disaster relief, Jean-Pierre said.
Biden stands by his warnings about Trump, White House says
It’s not just a political rivalry.
Biden has cast Trump as an existential threat to the country, arguing the very “soul” of the United States − and democracy − was at stake ahead of the 2024 election.
But in convincing fashion, Americans voted for Trump and his “America first” agenda over Biden’s vice president, Democratic nominee Kamala Harris.
Biden hasn’t used the same anti-Trump rhetoric since Trump was elected last week as he embraces a peaceful transition. “We’re going to be OK,” Biden told supporters in a post-election speech. Jean-Pierre has also avoided the phrase “threat to democracy” but made clear Biden stands by everything he’s said about Trump.
More:Biden says ‘giving up is unforgivable,’ assures peaceful transfer of power after Trump win
Jean-Pierre seemed taken aback when a reporter asked her whether Biden delivered “an apology” to Trump during their meeting for the outgoing president’s attacks on Trump.
“The president is going to always feel obligated to be honest with the American people,” Jean-Pierre said. “What he says still stands. And it’s not just him. You heard this from former staffers. You heard this from (President-elect Trump’s) former chief of staff John Kelly and others.”
Trump’s new right-hand man: Elon Musk
One thing has become abundantly clear one week after Trump’s victory: tech billionaire Elon Musk is set to play an enormous role in the next administration.
Musk joined Trump as the president-elect addressed House Republicans one day after Trump announced Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy will lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency” to overhaul the federal government by slashing spending and gutting regulations.
“Elon has been so wonderful,” Trump said, singling out the world’s richest man as he watched the former president speak at the House GOP Conference. “Elon won’t go home. I can’t get rid of him. Until I don’t like him,” Trump said, according to The Hill, citing a source in the room.
More:Trump taps Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy to lead new ‘Department of Government Efficiency’
Musk has been a near-constant presence at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home in Florida the past week after he injected more than $100 million into Trump’s 2024 campaign. Musk has become such a regular that he’s overstaying his welcome, NBC reported, citing people in Trump’s orbit who have found Musk’s presence overbearing.
During his meeting with Biden, Trump was not joined by Musk but rather his incoming chief of staff, Susie Wiles, who was co-manager of Trump’s 2024 campaign.
Trump continues to rapidly assemble his administration with loyal allies he trusts. On Wednesday, he raised eyebrows, even among Republicans, with his pick of Florida U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general.
No Melania Trump, but a handwritten note
Notably missing from Donald Trump’s entourage when he arrived at the White House: Melania Trump, who chose to skip the customary meeting with the first lady.
Melania Trump declined an invitation by first lady Jill Biden to meet with her at the White House while their husbands discussed the presidential transition.
For more than a century, it has been a tradition for the sitting first lady to host her successor for tea. Melania Trump upended that ritual four years ago when she and her husband declined to invite the Bidens to the White House after Donald Trump’s loss to Joe Biden in the 2020 election.
Melania Trump’s office gave no reason for her decision to pass on Jill Biden’s invitation to visit on Wednesday.
If Melania Trump’s snub left any hard feelings, Jill Biden didn’t let it show. She gave Donald Trump a handwritten letter to deliver to his wife. The letter congratulated the incoming first lady and expressed that Jill Biden’s team is ready to assist with the transition, the White House said.
Reach Joey Garrison on X, formerly Twitter, @joeygarrison.
