President-elect Donald Trump will meet with Joe Biden at the White House next week to begin the peaceful transfer of power.
The White House issued a statement about the meeting on Saturday, saying it was set up at Biden’s request.
“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,” the statement read.
A meeting between the incoming and outgoing president has typically taken place with every new administration, but the tradition was skipped in 2020.
Trump did not attend Biden’s inauguration and it remains unclear if Biden will attend his.
The former president was declared the winner early Wednesday morning and swept all battleground states in his historic victory.
Vice President Kamala Harris conceded the race on Thursday. It is unclear if she will attend Wednesday’s meeting.
Biden spoke in the Rose Garden on Thursday and told America that he invited Trump to the White House during a phone call to congratulate him on his win.
“I hope we can lay to rest the question about the integrity of the American electorate system. It is honest, it is fair and it is transparent. And it can be trusted, win or lose,” Biden said.
“I will do my duty as president. I will fulfill my oath; I will honor the Constitution. On Jan. 20, we will have a peaceful transition of power here in America,” he added.
Steven Cheung, the Trump campaign’s communications director, said in a statement that Trump looks forward to the meeting.
A report from The Hill noted, “Trump met with then-President Obama at the White House in 2016 after winning that election. But Trump did not extend an invitation to Biden in 2020, nor did he ever concede defeat.”
