President-elect Donald Trump will meet President Joe Biden in the Oval Office on Wednesday, the White House said on Saturday. The White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement that the meeting between both leaders will take place in the Oval at 11:00 am at the outgoing president's invitation.
Such post-election meetings are part of a long-established tradition between the President-elect and the outgoing President. However, Trump, a Republican, did not host Biden, a Democrat, for such a meeting after he lost the election in 2020.
Trump defeats Kamala Harris
Notably, Trump won the US presidential election for a second term, handing a shock defeat to Harris, in one of the most remarkable comebacks in American electoral history after he was evicted from power four years back. In the election, 78-year-old Trump made a remarkable comeback, securing 301 electoral college votes compared to Harris's 226 in a hard-fought race that highlighted contrasting worldviews for Americans. The Arizona is yet to declare results where Trump is leading. The final victory margin could be 312-226.
Trump to assume office on January 20
After the dominating win, the President-elect will assume office on January 20. VP Harris, who had conceded defeat, and President Biden had congratulated Trump on his victory and assured a peaceful transition of power. After Trump, VP-elect JD Vance will also assume office. Meanwhile, efforts are being made in the direction of recruiting new staff. In line with that, US President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday announced that Susie Wiles, one of his two campaign managers, will be his White House chief of staff.
As for the CIA chief, it is anticipated that Trump's confidant and loyalist Kash Patel will acquire the top intelligence post. He has served in various high-ranking staff roles in the defence and intelligence communities during Trump's first term. Meanwhile, Trump is likely to start the process of choosing a cabinet and selecting other high-ranking administration officials in the coming weeks.
(With inputs from agencies)
