Donald Trump and Joe Biden exchanged smiles for the cameras as they met at the White House on Monday morning ahead of the president-elect formally taking power.
The president-elect and Melania Trump walked up the front stairs of the White House hand-in-hand, where President Biden and first lady Jill Biden awaited them.
‘Welcome home,’ Biden told Trump.
The two couples shook hands and briefly posed for pictures, looking visibly cold in the wind. Unlike eight years ago, when Melania arrived with a gift wrapped in Tiffany blue for Michelle Obama, she was empty-handed when she greeted Jill Biden.
Ahead of Trump’s arrival, Biden told reporters he was feeling ‘good. It’s a beautiful day.’ He said his message for the day was ‘joy.’
He and wife Jill Biden took one last selfie outside of the Oval Office before departing the building, posting it to the White House social media accounts.
Before the Trumps arrived, incoming Vice President J.D. Vance and wife Usha were greeted at the White House by outgoing Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff.
‘Congratulations,’ Harris told Vance. She had declined to host him at the vice presidential residence ahead of his swearing-in ceremony.
Harris, who lost to Trump in a landslide, described today as ‘democracy in action.’
Donald Trump kicked off the ceremonies for his historic second inauguration alongside wife Melania, son Barron and his family at a church service just hours before meeting the Bidens at the White House.
The president-elect took the front row of St. John’s Episcopal Church – just a block away from the White House – and smiled to his Vice President J.D. Vance, who was sat alongside wife Usha.
The president-elect, wearing a suit and dark red tie, shook his fist to photographers as he stepped out of the crowd. Melania, in a navy blue suit and matching hat with white trim, was at his side. Their son Barron walked with them.
The Trump family joined them inside the church – Ivanka and Jared Kushner and their kids; Don Jr., his ex-wife Vanessa and their kids; Tiffany Trump and husband Michael Boulos; and Eric and Lara Trump and their two children.
Incoming Vice President J.D. Vance and his wife Usha sat in the front pew with Donald, Melania and Barron.
Also in the church were Rupert Murdoch, Mark Zuckerberg, Tim Cook, Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez, former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Marco Rubio, Tulsi Gabbard, Sean Duffy, TikTok CEO Shou Chew, Elon Musk, Rep. Mike Waltz, Pam Bondi, Howard Lutnick, Doug Burgum, and Argentinian President Javier Milei.
After the church ceremony, Donald and Melania will make the short trip to the White House to have tea with President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden.
The two couples will then ride together to Capitol Hill for Trump’s swearing-in as president.
The ceremony has been moved inside the Capitol rotunda due to the below-freezing weather and cold winds in Washington D.C. Much of the ground is frozen and icy from Sunday’s rain and snow fall.
Biden and Trump haven’t spoken since shortly after the election, when Biden welcomed the president-elect to the Oval Office.
Trump, in the interim, has blasted the outgoing president for being ‘sneaky’ during the transition process by setting up a series of roadblocks designed to hinder his first days in office.
Biden, for his part, started off the morning with a series of preemptive pardons for those who might face Trump retribution: General Mark Milley, Dr. Anthony Fauci, former Rep. Liz Cheney.
He got a final security briefing as commander in chief. After Trump is sworn in, the Bidens will board Marine One at the Capitol and head to Joint Base Andrews, where Biden will give farewell remarks. The couple then heads to California for some time with family.
Trump has been in Washington D.C. since Saturday, celebrating his second term in office. He and his supporters celebrated with fireworks at his Trump Golf Club in Sterling, Va.
On Sunday, he addressed supporters at a rally at the Capitol One Arena. And then he joined supporters at a candlelight dinner.
When Trump returns to the White House on Monday afternoon, it will be as president of the United States.
He plans an immediate blitz of executive orders, designed to overturn many Biden initiatives. He’ll have a crackdown on illegal immigration, put tariffs on trading partners and pardon supporters who were prosecuted for storming the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.