Joe Biden welcomed Donald Trump back to the White House on Wednesday, in a show of civility to a bitter rival who failed to extend him the same courtesy four years ago.
The US president and president-elect shook hands in front of a roaring fire in the Oval Office as they pledged a smooth transition — a stark contrast to Trump’s refusal to recognize his 2020 defeat.
“Welcome back,” Biden, 81, said as he congratulated the 78-year-old Trump and offered brief opening remarks to the man he has repeatedly slammed as a threat to democracy.
Biden, who dropped out of the election in July but saw his successor Kamala Harris lose to Trump last week, said he was “looking forward to having a smooth transition” and pledged to do “everything we can to make sure you’re accommodated.”
As the two presidents with a combined age of 159 years shook hands, Biden appeared to look down while Trump leaned forward and looked him in the eyes.
Trump riled up a mob that attacked the US Capitol in 2021 and ran a brutal and divisive election campaign this year — but sought to strike a gracious tone on his return visit to the White House.
“Politics is tough, and in many cases it’s not a very nice world. It is a nice world today and I appreciate it very much,” Trump said.
Trump added that the transfer of power would be “smooth as you can get” — despite the fact that his transition team has not yet signed some key legal documents ahead of his inauguration as president on January 20.
