Transfer of power will be 'so smooth', Trump tells Biden at Oval Office

President-elect Donald J. Trump met in the Oval Office with President Biden on Wednesday, a triumphant return to the seat of American power that he grudgingly left four years ago.

“Congratulations,” Biden told his predecessor and successor – a man who Biden has long said represents a clear danger to democracy itself. “I’m looking forward to having, like we said, a smooth transition.”

Trump surged to victory, becoming the 47th President of the United States, beating Vice President Kamala Harris, winning in the battleground states and capturing the popular vote.

Trump and Biden were gracious to each other in brief remarks in front of a roaring fire as they observed a decades-old tradition that Trump did not extend to Biden while denying that he had lost in 2020.

Biden said he would make sure Mr. Trump had what he needed for a smooth transition after a brief handshake.

For his part, the president-elect made his own oblique reference to their differences.

“Thank you very much,” he said. “And politics is tough, and it’s many cases, not a very nice world. But it is a nice world today and I appreciate very much a transition that’s so smooth, it’ll be as smooth as you can get. And I very much appreciate that, Joe.”

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