Biden Extends White House Invite to Trump for Transition Discussion: Report
President Joe Biden has reportedly invited President-elect Donald Trump to meet at the White House next week, intending to outline how the transition will unfold in the lead-up to January’s inauguration.
The White House has scheduled Biden and Trump’s meeting for Wednesday at 11 a.m. Trump later confirmed the arrangement on Saturday, while Biden assured that the transition would proceed in a “peaceful and orderly” manner.
“I will do my duty as president,” Biden remarked on Thursday, as reported by Just the News. “I’ll fulfill my oath, and I will honor the Constitution. On Jan. 20, we will have a peaceful transfer of power here in America.”
The invitation follows Trump’s victory over Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, during which he captured all battleground states and contributed to Republicans achieving historic wins in state legislatures nationwide.
Additionally, Republicans regained control of the Senate and appear on track to retain the House, though with a slim majority.
Trump’s sweeping, history-making win marks him as the second president since Grover Cleveland in the late 1800s to secure two non-consecutive terms. This outcome has sparked internal conflict within the Democratic Party, with some members casting blame.
The scale of Trump’s victory may signal a shift away from the influence that long-time Democratic leaders, such as former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California, have wielded over the party’s politics.
Pelosi, “who for decades reigned as kingmaker in her party, now faces the likelihood of her influence waning due to” Harris’s loss, reported the UK’s Daily Mail.
This sudden decline in power comes mere months after Pelosi’s significant role in pushing President Joe Biden to step down from the race.
The 84-year-old Pelosi was seen visibly emotional during Harris’s concession at Howard University on Wednesday, where she also had a heated discussion with former DNC chair Donna Brazile, the outlet reported.
Amid the fallout from the vice president’s unexpected defeat, Pelosi has become a target of criticism within her party, according to Daily Mail.
“The influences of a [Senate Majority Leader Chuck] Schumer or a Pelosi or a movie star or an Obama deciding to anoint somebody—those figures are gone,” remarked Kevin O’Leary, a business investor and Shark Tank star, earlier this week.
“In four years, they won’t have that kind of influence,” he added, alluding to actor George Clooney, who notably urged Biden to withdraw from the race following a difficult debate with Trump.
Some Republicans are attributing the Democrats’ setbacks, including the Senate flipping red and the uncertainty in the House, directly to Pelosi.
“You’ve got to blame Nancy Pelosi,” commented former GOP House Speaker and fellow Californian Kevin McCarthy in a Fox News interview this week.
Pelosi has been noted as a critical force behind Biden’s decision in July to exit the race, which allowed Harris to become the Democratic nominee shortly before the election.
McCarthy also criticized this as a disruption of the democratic process, as primary voters nationwide initially selected Biden, only to see Harris on the ballot.
“Joe Biden never should have run for office. I knew it when I sat with him. There was something wrong with him,” McCarthy stated.
Meanwhile, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez voiced concerns shared by some Democrats, expressing fears about “fascism” and “authoritarianism” following Trump’s decisive win over Vice President Kamala Harris.
As Trump’s victory became clear Tuesday evening, Ocasio-Cortez shared a message with her social media followers, echoing these concerns.