Trump returns to Washington for the first time since he won the election

Updated November 13, 2024 at 2:19 PM ET

Former and future President Donald Trump met with Republicans in Congress and visited his old office, the Oval Office, today, making his first trip to Washington since winning the presidential election.

President Biden invited his predecessor and successor to what is a ceremonial tradition meant to signal the desire for a smooth and fluid future peaceful transfer of power.

In a very brief photo-op at the start of a meeting that lasted nearly two hours, the leaders shook hands and Biden congratulated Trump and said he looked forward to a smooth transition.

Trump said: “It will go as smoothly as possible and I really appreciate that, Joe.”

“Politics is tough and in many cases it’s not a beautiful world, but it is a beautiful world today,” Trump said.

Biden and Trump discussed aid to Ukraine, the White House said

The leaders had “substantial” private conversations with White House chief of staff Jeff Zients and Susie Wiles, who will get the job when Trump takes office in January, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters.

Biden said Trump was “gracious” and “came up with a detailed set of questions,” Jean-Pierre said, declining to elaborate on what was on that list. The leaders discussed the funding bill that Congress must approve by Dec. 21 and the financing of disaster relief after this fall’s hurricanes, Jean-Pierre said.

“The length of the meeting shows that they had an in-depth conversation on a range of topics,” she said.

“This is not about President Biden or President-elect Trump. This is about the American people and what is good for the American people,” Jean-Pierre said.

Biden has made clear to Trump that it is in the interest of US national security to continue supporting Ukraine in its war with Russia, Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters. Trump and many of his aides have expressed skepticism about U.S. aid to Ukraine.

First lady Jill Biden was there to greet Trump upon his arrival, the White House told reporters, and gave him a handwritten letter for Melania Trump, who was not in attendance.

Trump rallied Republicans in the House of Representatives for the first time ahead of the leadership election

Trump started his day in Washington with a visit to a hotel ballroom where House Republicans were meeting to select their new slate of leaders. Trump received a standing ovation and prolonged cheers when he was joined on stage by Wiles and technology entrepreneur Elon Musk, who has become a close adviser.

Republican House members leaving the morning conference were in good spirits, describing a festive atmosphere in the room where Trump thanked them for their support.

“It’s on fire,” said Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C. “The agenda he is putting forward is incredible.”

Trump has outlined his vision of top priorities for his administration — including continuing to build a wall along the southern border.

“It was like, ‘We’re going to move fast, stick together, be a team’ — kind of a rah-rah speech, and that’s about what I expected,” said Oklahoma Rep. Tom Cole. “It’s not the place to set a policy agenda, and he certainly hasn’t done that.”

Instead, Trump focused on uniting a party hobbled in recent years by infighting and chaos as they battled Biden and Democrats in a divided government.

The mood has changed dramatically as Republicans prepare for unified control of Washington. There are still a number of important elections in the House of Representatives, but Republicans are on track to gain a narrow majority in that chamber, after gaining a 53-47 majority in the Senate.

Trump took part in this tradition in 2016, but skipped it in 2020

In 2020, Trump refused to accept the outcome of the election and did not invite Biden to the Oval Office.

But in 2016, when…President Barack Obama sat next to Trump in the Oval Office just two days after Trump defeated Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.

Seated side by side, Trump called Obama a “very good man,” said it was an honor to meet him and expressed surprise that the conversation had lasted more than an hour.

The only advice Obama gave Trump while reporters were in the room was: “Don’t answer the questions when they just start yelling.”

That’s something Trump immediately ignored during his time in office. He regularly held court cases while reporters shouted questions, responded to the questions he wanted to answer and sometimes sparred with the reporters.

But on Wednesday, both Trump and Biden ignored reporters’ questions.

Tradition is part of the transfer of power

Biden twice campaigned against Trump and won in 2020, arguing that Trump posed an existential threat to American democracy.

During the 2024 campaign, their only meeting on a debate stage in late June essentially ended Biden’s bid for a second term. During the remaining months of the campaign, Trump often gloated about his debate knockout and lamented the “coup” that forced Biden out of the race.

But the day after the election, Biden called Trump to congratulate him and invited him to a meeting at the White House.

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