Outgoing United States President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump will meet on Wednesday (November 13), the White House said on Saturday.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that the meeting will take place in the Oval Office at Biden’s invitation.
“At President Biden’s invitation, President Biden and President-elect Trump will meet in the Oval Office on Wednesday at 11:00 am. Additional details to follow,” Pierre wrote in a post on X.
During a press briefing on Friday, her first since Tuesday’s election, Jean-Pierre attributed the Democrats’ loss in the Presidential elections to “global headwinds.”
When asked if President Biden felt responsible for Kamla Harris’s decisive loss to President-elect Trump, or if he had regrets about his decision to run for reelection before ultimately stepping down in late July, Pierre replied, “Biden takes responsibility for the loss.”
She noted that the disruption of the supply chain during the COVID-19 pandemic took a toll on several incumbent leaders around the world.
Following Harris’s defeat on November 5, Biden congratulated her on her successful campaign, saying, “She gave her whole heart and effort.” “She and her entire team should be proud of the campaign they ran,” he said during his address on Thursday.
Biden also congratulated President-elect Trump and said that he would ensure an orderly transition of power following his victory in the presidential election.
He highlighted his commitment to fulfilling his “presidential oath and honouring the Constitution” and said that the country will witness a “peaceful transfer of power on January 20.
He further emphasised the transparency of the American electoral system and stated that the system is “honest, fair, and transparent.” Biden also expressed gratitude to election workers, acknowledging their efforts in staffing voting sites, counting votes, and safeguarding the election’s integrity.
Biden had withdrawn from the presidential race on July 21, nominating Kamala Harris in his place, following a period of widespread unpopularity.
