(Cupventi.com) – President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump are set to meet at the White House on Wednesday morning, a development officially confirmed by the White House on Saturday. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre announced that the meeting will take place at 11 a.m. in the Oval Office, marking a pivotal moment as the administration prepares for the transition of power.
The announcement follows Trump’s projected win in the recent presidential election, in which he defeated Vice President Kamala Harris, who had been running for office alongside Biden. Trump’s transition team has not yet issued any comment regarding the upcoming meeting.
In the aftermath of her electoral defeat, Vice President Harris addressed her supporters in a concession speech at Howard University in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday. She publicly acknowledged Trump’s victory and expressed a commitment to a smooth transition of power, stating, “Earlier today, I spoke with President-elect Trump and congratulated him on his victory. I also told him that we will help him and his team with their transition and that we will engage in a peaceful transfer of power.”
During a phone conversation with NBC News on Thursday, Trump spoke favorably of Harris’s approach to the transition, emphasizing her dedication to ensuring a seamless transfer between administrations. “She talked about transition, and she said she’d like it to be smooth as can be, which I agree with, of course,” Trump remarked, underscoring a tone of cooperation.
On Thursday, President Biden reaffirmed this commitment to a peaceful transition during a statement to reporters at the White House. “I will do my duty as president: I will fulfill my oath and I will honor the Constitution. On Jan. 20, we’ll have a peaceful transfer of power here in America,” Biden stated, signaling his support for a respectful and orderly handover.
This year’s transition comes after a historically contentious transfer of power in 2020, when Trump initially resisted Biden’s victory. The previous administration delayed critical transition processes and contested election results. Only in early January—following the violent attack on the Capitol by Trump supporters seeking to disrupt Congress’s certification of Biden’s victory—did then-President Trump concede to a peaceful transfer of power.
Unlike the traditional courtesy extended by President Obama in 2016, who invited Trump to the White House following his election, Trump did not extend the same invitation to Biden after the 2020 election. This Wednesday’s meeting between Biden and Trump, however, signals a return to the long-standing practice of presidential transitions marked by mutual respect and commitment to democratic principles.