The White House on November 13, 2024, described the meeting between President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump as “gracious,” “cordial,” and “substantive.”
The two leaders, who met for around two hours, engaged in an in-depth conversation covering a range of national security and domestic policy topics affecting both the nation and the world. White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients and incoming Chief of Staff Susie Wiles were also present during the meeting.
It marked President-elect Trump’s first visit to the White House since his loss to President Biden in the 2020 Presidential election.
During the Oval Office meeting, Biden expressed his commitment to a “smooth transition,” assuring the President-elect that everything possible would be done to ensure a seamless start for the new administration.
In response, Trump acknowledged the challenges of politics, saying, “Politics is tough. And it’s, many cases, not a very nice world, but it is a nice world today. And I appreciate it very much — a transition that’s so smooth it’ll be as smooth as it can get. And I very much appreciate that, Joe.”
Shortly after the two leaders met, hundreds of journalists gathered at the White House, hoping to hear from Trump about the meeting. However, he departed without addressing the media.
Later, White House Press Secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, during the press briefing, informed reporters that Biden reiterated to Trump his dedication to an “orderly and peaceful transition of power.” She added that the President also highlighted key priorities for the “lame-duck” congressional session, such as funding the government and approving the supplemental disaster relief funding he had requested.
“I had an opportunity to speak with the President in the Oval Office right before coming out to do this press briefing, because I wanted to make sure that I got what the President wanted to share with all of you, so certainly that everything that I’m saying is — is sanctioned, if you will, by the President,” she emphasized. “He wanted you all to know that the President-elect, again, was gracious, came with a detailed set of questions. It was, again, substantive.”
Jean-Pierre emphasized that Biden reached out to Trump to ensure he provided the President-elect an opportunity to discuss key issues important to the American people. She added that Biden respects the will of the people and remains committed to supporting a smooth and orderly transition.
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan also joined Jean-Pierre at the press briefing to announce the President’s upcoming travel to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Lima, Peru, followed by a historic Presidential visit to the Amazon in Brazil and participation in the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro.
To a question about Biden’s message to allies during his upcoming trip, Sullivan affirmed that the President’s stance remains consistent, emphasizing that America’s alliances are crucial to the nation’s security.
“They make us stronger. They multiply our capability. They take a burden off of our shoulders. They contribute to our common causes, including the cause of standing up for freedom and territorial integrity in Ukraine,” he added noting that the President will be relaying this message to America’s allies. “Frankly, to our adversaries, that America is standing with its alliances, investing in its alliances. And then asking its allies to step up and do their part, which they have done these past four years, is central to American strength and capacity in the world.”
Elaborating on discussions between Biden and Trump, Sullivan shared that Biden emphasized his view to Trump that supporting Ukraine aligns with U.S. national security interests. He argued that a strong, stable Europe willing to oppose aggressors and dictators is essential to preventing the U.S. from being drawn directly into conflict—something that occurred twice in the 20th century on the European continent. Sullivan added that the President will continue to advocate for this stance “both privately and publicly.”
Regarding immediate challenges for the next administration, Sullivan warned that “competition,” with the People’s Republic of China will be a defining issue shaping the world over the next few decades. He stressed that this must be a top priority for the incoming leadership.
Sullivan also noted other urgent concerns, including Iran and its proxy groups, which continue to take actions that threaten American lives and interests in the Middle East, calling for immediate attention.
“Now, that’s at the macro level and the micro level. In between those two, you have an ongoing war of aggression by Russia against Ukraine representing a larger threat to European security and, therefore, global security. And you’ve got North Korea coming behind to provide troops in that war,” Sullivan pointed out adding, “So, these are all issues for which we have clear approaches, working in coordination with allies and partners, and we are going to try to ensure that we pass off each of these areas to the next team in a way that is as smooth as possible.”
