US President Joe Biden will address America on Thursday, vowing a peaceful transfer of power to Donald Trump after his historical election win over Kamala Harris.
Biden is scheduled to speak in the Rose Garden of the White House at 11 am (1600 GMT) to “discuss the election results and the transition” to Trump’s second term.
The White House said Biden spoke with Trump on Wednesday and “expressed his commitment to ensuring a smooth transition and emphasized the importance of working to bring the country together.”
Biden is meanwhile striking a presidential tone by calling Trump and inviting him to meet at the White House, despite their long history of bitter animosity.
Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said Trump “looks forward to the meeting, which will take place shortly, and very much appreciated the call.”
It would be the first time they had met since Biden’s disastrous debate performance against Trump in June that forced him out of the race.
It would be recalled that the 81-year-old dropped out of the race against Trump in July and handed the Democratic nomination to vice president Harris -— but is now likely to see his legacy dismantled by the Republican’s stunning comeback.
Biden is however determined to draw a stark contrast with Trump, whose refusal to accept his own 2020 election defeat by Biden culminated in the violent January 6, 2021 assault by Trump supporters on the US Capitol.
The United States and the world face a radically transformed political landscape after Trump’s overwhelming victory.
US voters backed Trump’s hardline right-wing policies and rejected Biden and Harris’s record, especially on the economy and inflation, exit polls showed.
World leaders swiftly pledged to work with Trump, despite concerns in much of the globe about his nationalist “America First” approach and pledges to slap huge tariffs on foreign imports.
Trump’s choices for his own White House team will be in the spotlight, with the world’s richest man Elon Musk and vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. both in line for roles.
The Trump campaign’s transition team said Wednesday that “in the days and weeks ahead” Trump would be seeking the “best people.”
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