Biden and Trump join forces at White House to ensure peaceful transition

Washington (The Uttam Hindu): US President-elect Donald Trump met with President Joe Biden on Wednesday in the Oval Office of the White House. Biden extended his congratulations to Trump following his victory in the 2024 presidential election and expressed his eagerness for a smooth transition of power. "Congratulations, looking forward to a smooth transition — we’ll do everything we can to make sure you're accommodated and have what you need. We’ll have a chance to discuss some of that today," Biden said during their meeting, according to a White House statement.

Trump responded with gratitude, saying, "Politics can be tough, and often not a very pleasant world, but today is different. I appreciate it very much — a transition as smooth as it can possibly be. I truly appreciate that, Joe." First Lady Jill Biden also joined her husband in welcoming Trump, presenting him with a handwritten letter of congratulations, which included an offer of assistance from her team to help with the transition.

White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients and incoming White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles were also present at the meeting, the White House reported. After his victory over Democratic candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump is working to finalize his national security and foreign policy team in preparation for his inauguration in January 2025. On Tuesday, Trump announced several key appointments, including former South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem as Secretary of Homeland Security, Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and 'X', and Indian-American Vivek Ramaswamy to head the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense, and William Joseph McGinley as White House Counsel, among others. In a remarkable political comeback, Trump won a second term after securing 295 electoral votes in the 2024 election, defeating Kamala Harris, who received 226 votes. Trump's return to the White House will make him only the second president in US history to serve two non-consecutive terms, following Grover Cleveland, who served in 1884 and 1892. Trump previously served as president from 2016 to 2020.