President-elect Donald Trump is set to visit the White House on Wednesday, marking his first return since being voted out of office, for a symbolic meeting with President Joe Biden to underscore the importance of a peaceful transfer of power.
In a notable shift from 2020, when Trump did not extend the same courtesy to Biden, this meeting represents a break from the previous discord. Unlike in 2020, Vice President Kamala Harris publicly conceded last Wednesday, acknowledging Trump’s electoral win. However, it remains unclear if Vice President-elect JD Vance will join Trump in Washington. As of Tuesday evening, Vance had not yet received any outreach from Harris regarding a potential visit or collaboration.
Trump has spent the post-election period in Florida with allies, planning his new administration and assembling a Cabinet filled with staunch loyalists. His Washington visit also includes addressing House Republicans, with House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., confirming Trump’s speech. A meeting with Senate Republicans may also be on Trump’s agenda, as they convene Wednesday to elect new leadership.
The White House has extended invitations to both Trump and former first lady Melania Trump. While Melania Trump accepted a similar invitation in 2016 and met with then-first lady Michelle Obama, she is not expected to attend this year’s meeting. Jill Biden’s participation in a greeting with Trump remains uncertain, though she is scheduled to be present at the White House.
In 2016, shortly after the election, former President Barack Obama and Biden met with Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence, signaling bipartisan respect for the transition process. The two couples even shared a subsequent gathering at the Naval Observatory.
In contrast, the 2020 transition saw Trump refusing to engage in traditional protocols, declining to offer Biden access to government resources and critical briefings. Biden, who has emphasized the necessity of a peaceful transition, reaffirmed this commitment last week, stating that a peaceful power transfer is essential to American democracy.
“Campaigns are a contest of competing visions. The country chooses one or the other. We accept the choice the country made,” Biden said. “You can’t love your country only when you win. You can’t love your neighbor only when you agree.”
As the White House prepares to welcome the new administration, Wednesday’s meeting aims to restore a tradition that strengthens democratic norms and respects the electoral choice of the American people.