Welcome Back’: Biden GreetsTrump

President-elect Donald Trump and President Joe Biden, longtime political rivals, met on Wednesday for the first time since Trump won back the White House last week and both promised a smooth transfer of power in January.

The two leaders sat side by side before a roaring fire in the Oval Office, a peaceful scene that belied tensions between them.

Biden, a Democrat, defeated Trump in the 2020 election but dropped out of the 2024 race in July after a disastrous debate with the Republican Trump. He handed his candidacy to Vice President Kamala Harris, who lost.

“We’re looking forward to having, like we said, a smooth transition, do everything we can to make sure you’re accommodated, what you need,” Biden said. “Welcome, welcome back.”

“Politics is tough, and it’s many cases not a very nice world, but it is a nice world today, and I appreciate very much a transition that’s so smooth it’ll be as smooth as it can get, and I very much appreciate that, Joe,” said Trump, who takes over on Jan. 20.

Reporters shouted questions but were quickly ushered out.

It was a sharp contrast to the criticism the two men have hurled at each other for years. Their respective teams hold vastly different positions on policies from climate change to Russia to trade.

Trump’s motorcade rolled through the heavily guarded White House gate. Biden greeted the former and future president in the Oval Office.

First lady Jill Biden joined Biden in greeting Trump on his arrival. The White House said she gave Trump a handwritten letter of congratulations for his wife, Melania Trump, and “expressed her team’s readiness to assist with the transition.”

Biden, 81, has portrayed Trump as a threat to democracy, while Trump, 78, has portrayed Biden as incompetent. Trump made false claims of widespread fraud after losing the 2020 election to Biden.

Reuters/ Shakirat Sadiq