Trump Makes a Victor's Return to Washington and Pledges 'Smooth' Transition of Power From Biden

Washington: Donald Trump me a victor's return to Washington on Wednesday, visiting White House for a nearly two-hour meeting with President Joe Biden and committing to a straightforward transition of power as president-elect moves quickly to build out his new ministration.

Sitting in front of a crackling fire in Oval Office, former rivals shook hands as reporters looked on. Biden called Trump "Mr President-elect and former president” before settling on “Donald”.

“Congratulations,” Democrat told Republican. “I look forward to having, like y said, a smooth transition,” Biden said. “Welcome. Welcome back.” Trump replied, “Thank you very much," saying that “politics is tough. And it's, in many cases, not a very nice world. But it is a nice world today, and I appreciate it very much.” He said transition between outgoing and incoming ministrations "will be as smooth as it can get and I very much appreciate that, Joe.” Trump, who has long disputed his 2020 election loss to Biden, did not invite Biden to White House during transition four years ago.

scene put in stark relief remarkable political rebound for Trump, who departed Washington in January 2021 as a diminished, politically defeated leer after helping incite a mob of his supporters to attack Capitol. Today, he is preparing to come back to power with what he and his GOP allies see as a mandate for governance.

Neir he nor Biden answered questions shouted by media after ir brief remarks. At one point, Biden looked at Trump, who moved his he to side and gave a small shrug but did not respond.

After his election win in 2016, Trump met with President Barack Obama in Oval Office and called it “a great honour.” But he soon was back to heaping insults on his predecessor.

While refraining Wednesday from bombast seen as a candidate, Trump looked at ease in Oval Office, unlike in 2016, when he appeared nervous and subdued when meeting with Obama eight years ago.

Trump left White House after his session with Biden without dressing large contingent of reporters on White House driveway waiting outside West Wing in case he did make an appearance.

Each was joined by his chief of staff for private meeting that is a tritional part of peaceful handoff of power, but a ritual that Trump declined to participate in four years ago after losing to Biden.

First ly Jill Biden greeted Trump upon his arrival at White House and gave him a handwritten letter of congratulations for his wife, Melania Trump, who did not make trip to Washington. letter also expressed first ly's team's reiness to assist with transition.

As Trump met with Biden, Trump sent out a fundraising email to supporters saying that he "is inside White House right now conducting a very important meeting.” Trump h flown from Florida in morning, joining up with billionaire Elon Musk for a morning session with House Republicans. That discussion came as Trump prepares for a potentially unified Republican government and sweep of power.

Back in Washington for first time since his election victory, Trump told GOP lawmakers, “It's nice to win.” He received a standing ovation from House GOP members, many of whom took cellphone videos of Trump as ran through ir party's victories up and down ballot, in what would be, under constitutional limits, his final presidential election.

“I suspect I won't be running again unless you say he's good we got to figure something else,” Trump said to laughter from lawmakers.

Constitution's 22nd Amendment prevents presidents from running for a third term.

House Speaker Mike Johnson said of Trump's arrival, “He is comeback king.” “We owe him a great debt of gratitude," Johnson said.

Trump's reemergence comes amid Republican congressional leership elections — with potential for president-elect to place his imprint on outcome. He endorsed Johnson's return to speaker's office with president-elect saying he is with Johnson all way, according to a person familiar with remarks but not authorized to publicly discuss private meeting.

Musk joining Trump on return to Washington comes after Tesla and SpaceX CEO has been spending much of his time at Mar-a-Lago, Trump's Florida estate, and participating in discussions as incoming Trump ministration prepares to transition from Biden's.

Trump has named Musk to a government efficiency visory role in his incoming ministration. Some close to Trump and his team now see Musk as second most influential figure in Trump's immediate orbit, after Susie Wiles, campaign manager who is Trump's incoming chief of staff.

Trump has continued to lie about widespre voter fraud that did not occur. In dition to not inviting n-president-elect Biden to White House, Trump left Washington without attending inauguration. It was first time that h happened since Andrew Johnson skipped Ulysses S. Grant's swearing-in 155 years ago.

Biden insists that he'll do everything he can to make transition to next Trump ministration go smoothly. That's despite having spent more than a year campaigning for reelection and decrying Trump as a threat to democracy and nation's core values. Biden n bowed out of race in July and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to succeed him.

Tritionally, as outgoing and incoming presidents meet in West Wing, first ly hosts her successor upstairs in residence, But her office said Melania Trump wasn't attending, saying in a statement that “her husband's return to Oval Office to commence transition process is encouraging, and she wishes him great success.” When Trump left Washington in 2021, even some top Republicans h begun to decry his role in helping incite mob that stormed Capitol mere weeks earlier. But his win in last week's election completes a political comeback that has seen Trump once again become unchallenged he of GOP.

Wednesday's trip was not first time Trump has returned to Capitol area since end of his first term, though. Congressional Republicans hosted Trump over summer, as Trump was again solidifying his dominance over party.

In last week's election, Republicans wrested Senate majority from Democrats and are on cusp of keeping control of House, are in midst of ir own leership elections happening behind closed doors Wednesday. Johnson has pulled ever-closer to Trump as he worked to keep his majority — and his own job with gavel.

Trump left Washington without visiting his party's senators. But, while he was in town, y chose Sen. John Thune of South Dakota in a three-way race to replace outgoing GOP leer Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. Trump's allies were pushing GOP senators to vote for Sen. Rick Scott of Florida. 

(Except for heline, this story has not been edited by Republic and is published from a syndicated feed.)