President Biden to Host President-elect Trump at the White House

In a significant gesture of unity and tradition, President Joe Biden has invited President-elect Donald J. Trump to the White House on Wednesday. This meeting reflects a long-standing presidential custom, which Mr. Trump notably did not extend to Mr. Biden four years ago following the contentious election in which Mr. Biden defeated him.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre confirmed the invitation in a succinct statement, though she refrained from disclosing specific details regarding the agenda of the meeting. The image of Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump together in the Oval Office is anticipated to be as memorable as the iconic moment in 2016 when former President Barack Obama met with Mr. Trump after his victory over Hillary Clinton.

In that historic encounter, Mr. Obama expressed his hopes for Mr. Trump’s presidency, stating, “Most of all, I want to emphasize to you, Mr. President-elect, that we now are going to want to do everything we can to help you succeed — because if you succeed, then the country succeeds.”

In stark contrast, when Mr. Biden triumphed over Mr. Trump in the deeply polarized election of 2020, Mr. Trump did not concede his defeat. Consequently, the two leaders did not meet at the White House, a break from tradition that was further compounded by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, which created an atmosphere of uncertainty and division within the country.

This upcoming meeting aims to bridge the gap between the two leaders and perhaps set a tone of cooperation moving forward.