"Welcome home": Biden greets Trump on his return to White House
US President-elect Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump arrived at the White House on the morning of 20 January for the traditional pre-inauguration tea with President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden.
Biden greeted the Trumps with the words "Welcome home".
A video shows the four conversing briefly before entering the White House for tea.
‘Welcome home,’ says Biden as the Trumps arrive for tea pic.twitter.com/tElOo3HG1x
– Danny Kemp (@dannyctkemp) January 20, 2025
Biden later shared a photo of the gathering on X (Twitter), stating that serving the American people had been "the honour of his life".
It has been the honor of our lifetimes to serve you, the American people. pic.twitter.com/OvrCIyWBd3
– President Biden (@POTUS) January 20, 2025
The outgoing US president traditionally accompanies the president-elect to the Capitol for the inauguration ceremony. Prior to this, both presidents and their spouses attend a tea party at the White House, a custom started in 1837 by Martin Van Buren and Andrew Jackson. However, Trump broke this tradition in 2021 when Joe Biden won the presidency.
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