Washington:
Joe Biden welcomed Donald Trump again to the White Home on Wednesday, in a present of civility to a bitter rival who failed to increase him the identical courtesy 4 years in the past.
The US president and president-elect shook fingers in entrance of a roaring hearth within the Oval Workplace as they pledged a clean transition — a stark distinction to Trump’s refusal to acknowledge his 2020 defeat.
“Welcome again,” Biden, 81, mentioned as he congratulated the 78-year-old Trump and provided transient opening remarks to the person he has repeatedly slammed as a menace to democracy.
Biden, who dropped out of the election in July however noticed his successor Kamala Harris lose to Trump final week, mentioned he was “trying ahead to having a clean transition” and pledged to do “all the things we are able to to ensure you’re accommodated.”
As the 2 presidents with a mixed age of 159 years shook fingers, Biden appeared to look down whereas Trump leaned ahead and appeared him within the eyes.
Trump riled up a mob that attacked the US Capitol in 2021 and ran a brutal and divisive election marketing campaign this yr — however sought to strike a gracious tone on his return go to to the White Home.
“Politics is hard, and in lots of instances it isn’t a really good world. It’s a good world right this moment and I respect it very a lot,” Trump mentioned.
Trump added that the switch of energy can be “clean as you may get” — even if his transition workforce has not but signed some key authorized paperwork forward of his inauguration as president on January 20.
No Melania
Absent from the event was incoming first woman Melania Trump, who was a shadowy presence on the marketing campaign path and spent a lot of Trump’s first time period away from the White Home.
Outgoing First Girl Jill Biden joined Biden in welcoming Trump and “gave Mr. Trump a handwritten letter of congratulations for Mrs Trump,” the White Home mentioned.
The one different individuals within the room for talks after the handshake had been Biden’s chief of employees Jeff Zients and Trump’s incoming chief of employees Susie Wiles, the White Home mentioned.
Biden was anticipated to push throughout the assembly for Trump to proceed US assist for Ukraine’s struggle towards Russia, which the Republican has known as into query.
Biden’s Oval Workplace invitation restored a presidential transition custom that Trump tore up when he misplaced the 2020 election, refusing to sit down down with Biden and even attend the inauguration.
However by the point Trump took his final flight from the White Home garden on January 20, 2021, he had additionally been repudiated by many in his personal social gathering for having stoked the assault on the Capitol.
That interval of shame quickly evaporated, nonetheless, as Republicans returned to Trump’s aspect, recognizing the billionaire’s distinctive electoral energy on the head of his right-wing motion.
Third time period?
Trump enters his second time period with a close to whole grip on his social gathering and is predicted to take each chambers of Congress — whereas the Democrats are in disarray.
Forward of the White Home go to, Trump addressed Republicans from the Home of Representatives at a Washington resort.
An ebullient Trump prompt that he may even be open to a 3rd time period in workplace — which might violate the US structure.
“I think I will not be operating once more until you say, ‘He is good, we received to determine one thing else,'” he mentioned, drawing some laughter.
Former actuality TV star Trump, who has promised to be a “dictator on day one,” is transferring shortly to fill out his administration, selecting a number of ultra-loyalists.
He was accompanied on the assembly with Republicans by the world’s richest man Elon Musk, whom he named on Tuesday as head of a brand new group aimed toward slashing authorities spending.
He additionally nominated Fox Information host and armed forces veteran Pete Hegseth as his incoming protection secretary. An opponent of so-called “woke” ideology within the armed forces, Hegseth has little expertise just like managing the world’s strongest army.
Trump named South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem — an ally who famously wrote about taking pictures her canine as a result of it didn’t reply to coaching — as head of the Division of Homeland Safety.
(Aside from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is revealed from a syndicated feed.)