Biden’s invitation reestablishes a tradition that Trump broke when he lost the 2020 elections, when he refused to meet the Democrat and attend the inauguration ceremony
“Welcome back”, he said this Wednesday (13) in a courteous tone during a meeting between the two former adversaries at . After shaking hands with the outgoing president in the Oval Office, Trump, who was the 45th president and will soon be the 47th president of the United States, stated that the transition will be “as smooth as possible”.
The former adversaries sat by the fireplace and made brief statements before the start of the meeting, which was attended by their respective chiefs of staff: Jeff Zients for Joe Biden, Susie Wiles for Donald Trump. “We will do everything we can to make sure you have everything you need,” Biden said, after congratulating him.
“Politics is tough and, in many cases, it is not a very pleasant world. It’s a nice world today, and I appreciate that very much,” commented Trump, who held the Oval Office from 2017 to 2021. Biden invited his fierce Republican rival after Vice President Kamala Harris’ election defeat last week, even though Trump did not having done the same to him four years ago.
An embarrassing situation for the Democrat, who knows that the new administration could dismantle a large part of his legacy. Biden called Trump a threat to democracy and was the Republican’s opponent in the race for president until a disastrous performance in an election debate forced the Democrat to drop out of the race in July. The meeting has a bitter taste for the Democrat and is a revenge for the Republican. First lady Jill Biden delivered a letter of congratulations to Trump’s wife, Melania, who was absent without explanation.
Before the meeting, the tycoon spoke to a group of Republicans, to whom he mentioned the possibility of running for the White House again, something prohibited by the United States Constitution. “I suspect I won’t run again unless you say, ‘He’s good, we have to do something else,” Trump said.
In addition to the meeting at the White House, he will also visit the Capitol, where in January 2021 hundreds of supporters of his candidacy tried to prevent the certification of Biden’s victory. And he arrives in Washington DC in a position of strength: his party has regained control of the Senate from the Democrats and is very close to confirming a majority in the House of Representatives.
Tradition
Biden’s invitation reestablishes a tradition that Trump broke when he lost the 2020 elections, when he refused to meet the Democrat and attend the inauguration ceremony. Former President Barack Obama welcomed Trump to the White House when the tycoon won the 2016 election. When Trump left the White House on January 20, 2021, many Republicans criticized him for inciting a mob before the attack on the Capitol. However, the period was short-lived and the Republicans returned to his side, in part due to his ability to electorally mobilize the right-wing movement that brought him back to power.
Trump begins his second term with almost total control over the party. He spent the week after the election at his Florida mansion, forming his government team. Among the latest appointments, the richest man on the planet, Elon Musk, stands out as head of a new “government efficiency commission”, together with businessman Vivek Ramaswamy. The latter promised on the X network that the duo will not mince words.
During the campaign, Musk suggested that the commission could make cuts of up to $2 trillion in the federal budget, an amount greater than the combined budgets of Defense, Education and Homeland Security. For now, he will accompany Trump at several events scheduled for this Wednesday. The most important position announced so far is that of head of diplomacy, for which Trump chose Florida senator Marco Rubio, according to the American press. Congressman Michael Waltz, a former special forces officer, will serve as National Security Advisor.
The two have warmongering views on China but are not considered isolationists, despite Trump’s previous threats to abandon or break away from NATO. It was also confirmed that Governor Kristi Noem (South Dakota) will lead the Department of Homeland Security, crucial for identifying and disrupting security threats, protecting customs and borders, managing migration and responding to natural disasters. She will work alongside Tom Homan, the new “border czar”.
*With information from AFP
Posted by Carolina Ferreira
