Biden and Trump meet on Wednesday after years of bitter rivalry

On By Pranco

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WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump will meet in the Oval Office on Wednesday after years of bitter rivalry, and after Trump denied Biden the same honor when he became president.

Biden congratulated and invited Trump to the White House, four years after a bitter presidential transition marked by Trump’s refusal to concede defeat and after Trump’s repeated debunked claims that the 2020 election was stolen. Trump broke with some ceremonial traditions when Biden took office, including skipping the inauguration in Washington. just weeks after he incited a mob to attack the U.S. Capitol and block the certification of the elections.

The meeting scheduled for next week comes after Biden said for years that Trump was a threat to American democracy and that Biden’s ultimately failed quest to stop Trump was a battle for the soul of the nation.

The meeting will take place at 11 a.m., Biden press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.

Trump won the presidential election on Tuesday with at least 301 votes in the electoral college.

Biden’s move is a step toward restoring some of the routine optics that take place during presidential transitions — in addition to issuing a congratulatory call, he has also pledged to attend Trump’s inauguration in January. “President Biden expressed his commitment to ensuring a smooth transition and emphasized the importance of working to bring the country closer together,” the White House said in a statement on the call on Wednesday.

Biden also called Vice President Kamala Harris last Wednesday to congratulate her on running a historic campaign. Harris conceded the election to Trump and promised to assist in the peaceful transfer of power to the Republicans.

Trump Campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said in a statement that “President Trump looks forward to the meeting, which will take place soon, and greatly appreciates the call.”