Washington: The differences in opinion, the bitter mutual attacks during the Presidential campaign were forgotten on Monday as outgoing US President Joe Biden welcomed his successor Donald Trump to the White House for a courtesy visit, ahead of the latter’s inauguration.
Accompanied by First Lady Jill Biden, Biden welcomed Trump and his wife Melania.
“Welcome home,” Biden said while shaking hands with Trump.
They exchanged brief remarks before going inside the White House, which Trump and Melania had occupied for four years, between 2017 and 2021.
After having tea at the White House, Biden and Trump boarded a limousine and travelled together to the US Capitol. For the first time in 40 years, the inauguration ceremony of an American President was shifted indoors because of the extremely cold weather conditions in Washington DC.
#WATCH | Washington DC | President-elect #DonaldTrump accompanied by outgoing president Joe Biden arrives at Capitol Hill, for his inauguration as the 47th US President
(Source – US Network Pool via Reuters) pic.twitter.com/QdwHTbZj5z
— ANI (@ANI) January 20, 2025
Biden and Trump were welcomed by senators at the Capitol, where guests and dignitaries streamed in for the inauguration at Rotunda.
In a ceremony embodying centuries-old American democracy, the transfer of power sees Biden handing over administrative control to Trump.
US Chief Justice John Roberts will administer the oath to Trump, who is only the second President in over 230 years to lose the election in a bid for back-to-back Presidency, and then winning again in the next election.
JD Vance will take oath as the Vice-President, succeeding Kamala Harris who lost to Trump after replacing Biden as the Democrat’s candidate midway through the campaign.
For the first time, foreign leaders are part of US Presidential swearing in ceremony.
Among several global leaders will be India’s External Affairs minister S Jaishankar.
