Former President Donald Trump returned to the White House on Wednesday for a historic meeting with President Joe Biden. This is Trump’s first visit to the White House since leaving office nearly four years ago under a cloud of controversy and scandal.
The meeting, which was confirmed by the White House on Tuesday, comes as Trump begins to swiftly assemble his administration ahead of his upcoming second term.
One of his first significant moves has been to appoint Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, as head of a new initiative aimed at dramatically reducing government spending.
The visit also marks a notable gesture of bipartisan civility, as President Biden, who is 81, invited Trump, 78, into the Oval Office — a move that highlights Biden’s commitment to upholding the norms of a peaceful transfer of power.
This gesture contrasts sharply with Trump’s refusal to meet with Biden after the 2020 election, when Trump denied Biden’s victory and infamously did not attend the inauguration.
The White House confirmed that the meeting would take place at 11:00 AM (1600 GMT). While Biden is expected to urge a smooth transition of power and emphasise continued U.S. support for Ukraine, foreign policy will be a key focus. Biden’s National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, noted that issues such as U.S. support for Ukraine against Russian aggression would be discussed.
Trump has previously suggested that he may end U.S. aid to Ukraine if re-elected, creating a stark policy divide between the two leaders.
“The American people deserve this. They deserve a peaceful transfer of power,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated, explaining why Biden extended the invitation. “He believes in the norms. He believes in our institutions.”
However, the meeting may not be entirely cordial. Biden has been outspoken about Trump’s impact on American democracy, once calling him a “threat” to the nation’s institutions. The meeting could be seen as a test of whether both men can set aside their deep political divisions in the interests of governance.
Trump’s wife, Melania, will not be attending the meeting, her office confirmed on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
The meeting also comes at a moment when the Republican Party is preparing for a return to power, with Trump poised to consolidate control of both chambers of Congress.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, who is a staunch Trump ally, mentioned that Trump may also visit the U.S. Capitol, where a violent mob of Trump supporters stormed the building in 2021 in a failed attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
The specter of that day, which led to Trump’s second impeachment, remains a divisive issue for the nation.
Trump’s return to the political spotlight, following his decisive victory in the 2024 election, is seen as part of an extraordinary political comeback. Despite his tumultuous first term and the public fallout after the Capitol riots, Trump remains deeply entrenched within the Republican base, which has rallied behind him in recent years.
The meeting between Trump and Biden marks a remarkable shift in the political landscape of the United States, where the lines between tradition and unconventional politics continue to blur.
As Trump prepares to enter the White House for a second term, the nation remains divided, with questions swirling about how his policies will shape the future of American governance.
The meeting may be symbolic of a new era, one where norms are bent and even the most deeply entrenched political rivalries can be put aside for the sake of political expediency — or perhaps for a deeper realignment of the country’s leadership priorities.
As Trump moves forward with his political comeback, the world watches closely to see how he will govern in an increasingly polarized America, and whether his return to power will signal a continued departure from the traditional norms of American politics.
