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President-elect Donald Trump and outgoing President Joe Biden smiled and laughed in a meeting at the White House with the 47th commander-in-chief saying that ‘politics is tough’.
The two presidents shook hands in a cozy meeting in the Oval Office of the White House on Wednesday morning.
‘Well Mr President-elect, Donald, congratulations,’ said Biden.
‘I look forward to having a smooth transition.’
President Joe Biden (right) laughs with President-elect Donald Trump (left) in the Oval Office of the White House on Wednesday (Picture: AP)
Trump replied: ‘Politics is tough. In many cases is it not a nice world but it is a nice world today.’
The president-elect thanked Biden and addressed the transition.
‘It will be as smooth as it can get and I very much appreciate that, Joe,’ Trump said.
Biden smiled and said, ‘You’re welcome,’ then dismissed the press pool.
President Joe Biden (right) shakes hands with President-elect Donald Trump (left) during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on Wednesday morning (Picture: Reuters)
Trump landed in Washington, DC, for the historic meeting after Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris promised to ensure a peaceful transition.
Biden issued the invitation to Trump four years after the 45th president the not extend the same courtesy to his successor while continuing to claim that the 2020 election was stolen from him.
Around 11am, Trump’s motorcade made its way to the White House.
Before heading to the Oval Office, Trump delivered remarks to House Republicans at a hotel in downtown Washington. Trump joked that he would be open to a third term, if lawmakers amended the US Constitution.
President Joe Biden (right) and President-elect Donald Trump (left) met in the Oval Office of the White House on Wednesday morning (Picture: EPA)
‘I suspect I won’t be running again unless you say “he’s good,”‘ the president-elect joked, adding, that he had just run his last campaign unless they ‘do something’ about term limits.
Trump also said that some House Republicans won seats on his coattails but recognized that the GOP will have a narrow majority in the chamber.
‘Are you looking at five or four? Doesn’t matter, we got used to one for a little while,’ he said, referring to Republicans’ razor-thin majority over the past year.
‘When you can get used to one, you can get used to anything.’
Elon Musk, hours being appointed by Trump to lead the new Office of Government Efficiency, accompanied the president-elect and listened to his remarks.
Earlier on Wednesday, his wife Melania Trump’s office broke silence on reports that she would not be partaking in tea with First Lady Jill Biden that has been transition of power tradition for decades.
‘Mrs Trump will not be attending today’s meeting at the White House. Her husband’s return to the Oval Office to commence the transition process is encouraging, and she wishes him great success,’ wrote her office on X (formerly Twitter).
‘In this instance, several unnamed sources in the media continue to provide false, misleading, and inaccurate information. Be discerning with your source of news.’
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