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US President Joe Biden began his meeting in the Oval Office with incoming President Donald Trump on Wednesday by congratulating him on his victory in the November 5 election .
As reporters entered the Oval Office, the two leaders sat next to each other in armchairs, the fireplace crackling in the background.
Trump smiled at the press, and then Biden , who was acting as host, welcomed him to the White House and extended his hand to shake it warmly.
“Well, Mr. President-elect Donald, congratulations … I hope we have a smooth transition. Welcome,” Biden said, as Trump listened with his hands clasped and leaning forward in his chair.
Biden invited Trump to the White House in a phone call on Nov. 6, the day after the election, and the Republican leader immediately accepted. The White House announced Saturday that the meeting would take place on Wednesday.
Such meetings are traditional in American politics to ensure an orderly transfer of power.
In fact, the Republican spread unfounded theories about fraud and did not even attend his successor’s inauguration, becoming the first US president not to do so since 1869.
