He’s not moving in just yet, but President-elect Donald Trump is returning briefly to the White House on Wednesday.
Trump will meet with President Joe Biden in the Oval Office just one week after defeating Vice President Kamala Harris to win a second term as president. The meeting between the outgoing president and his successor is an awkward post-election ritual that could be even more disconcerting than usual because of the animosity between the two men.
Biden has spent months calling Trump a threat to democracy. Trump has repeatedly called Biden the worst president ever.
But with the election behind them, Biden phoned Trump last week to congratulate him on his win and invite him to Washington – a courtesy that Trump refused to extend to him after Biden defeated him in 2020.
Complicating matters further, Biden had wanted another four years as president but changed his mind after his last face-to-face meeting with Trump – on a debate stage in Atlanta in June. The debate went so poorly for Biden that he abandoned his reelection campaign a month later, and Harris stepped in as the Democratic nominee.
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Trump is also set to meet with lawmakers on Capitol Hill on Wednesday as they hold elections for some of Congress’ pivotal leadership roles.
Keep up with live updates from the USA TODAY Network.
How to watch Trump’s visit to the White House
USA TODAY will be livestreaming the meeting between the president-elect and the current president. Watch here.
– Kinsey Crowley
When is Donald Trump visiting the White House?
Trump will meet with Biden in the Oval Office on Wednesday at 11 a.m., according to a press statement from the White House.
In a call congratulating Trump on his win last week, Biden expressed his commitment to ensuring a smooth transition and emphasized the importance of working to unite the country, the White House said.
– Kinsey Crowley
