WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump made a victorious return to Washington on Wednesday, visiting the White House for a nearly two-hour meeting with President Joe Biden and pledging a direct transition of power as the president-elect quickly works to build his new administration .

Sitting in front of a roaring fire in the Oval Office, the former rivals shook hands as reporters looked on. Biden referred to Trump as “Mr. President-elect and former president” before choosing “Donald.”

“Congratulations,” the Democrat told the Republican. “I look forward to having, as they said, a smooth transition,” Biden said. “Welcome back. Good to see you again.”

Trump responded, “Thank you very much,” saying “politics is hard. And in many cases, it’s not a very pleasant world. But the world is beautiful today and I appreciate it very much.

He said the transition between the outgoing and incoming administrations “will be as smooth as possible and I really appreciate that, Joe.” Trump, who has long disputed his 2020 election loss to Biden, did not invite Biden to the White House during the transition four years ago.

The scene highlighted the remarkable political rebound of Trump, who left Washington in January 2021 as a diminished and politically defeated leader after helping incite a crowd of his supporters to attack the Capitol. Now he is preparing to return to power with what he and his Republican allies see as a governance mandate.

Neither he nor Biden responded to questions shouted by the media after their brief remarks. At one point, Biden looked at Trump, who moved his head to the side and shrugged slightly, but did not respond.

After his 2016 election victory, Trump met with President Barack Obama in the Oval Office and called it a “great honor.” But he quickly began insulting his predecessor again.

While refraining Wednesday from perceived pomposity as a candidate, Trump looked comfortable in the Oval Office, unlike in 2016, when he seemed nervous and reserved during his meeting with Obama ago eight years.

Trump left the White House after his session with Biden without addressing the large contingent of reporters waiting outside the West Wing in the White House driveway in case he made an appearance.

Everyone was joined by their chief of staff for the private meeting which is a traditional element of peaceful transfer of powerbut a ritual that Trump refused to participate in four years ago after losing to Biden.

First lady Jill Biden greeted Trump upon his arrival at the White House and gave him a handwritten letter of congratulations for his wife, Melania Trump, who did not make the trip to Washington. The letter also expressed the first lady’s team’s willingness to help with the transition.

While Trump was meeting with Biden, Trump sent a fundraising email to his supporters saying he is “currently at the White House leading a very important meeting.”

Trump flew from Florida in the morning to join the billionaire Elon Musk for a morning session with House Republicans. This discussion took place as Trump prepares for a potentially unified Republican government and power sweep.

Back in Washington for the first time since electoral victoryTrump told Republican lawmakers: “It’s good to win. »

He received a standing ovation from members of the Republican Party of the House of Representatives, many of whom took cellphone videos of Trump as he ran through their party’s victories up and down the ballot, in this which would be, within constitutional limits, his last presidential election.

“I suspect I won’t run again unless you say he’s good, we have to find something else,” Trump said to laughter from lawmakers.

The 22nd Amendment to the Constitution prevents presidents from running for a third term.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said of Trump’s arrival: “He’s the comeback king.” »

“We owe him a great debt of gratitude,” Johnson said.

Trump’s re-emergence comes amid Republican congressional leadership elections – with the possibility of the president-elect leaving his mark on the outcome. He endorsed Johnson’s return to the president-elect’s office, with the president-elect saying he was with Johnson all the way, according to a person familiar with the remarks but not authorized to publicly discuss the private meeting.

Musk joins Trump on his return to Washington after the Tesla and SpaceX CEO spent much of his time at Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s Florida property, and participated in discussions as the new Trump administration prepares to leave Biden’s.

Trump named Musk to an advisory role on government efficiency in his new administration. Some close to Trump and his team now view Musk as the second most influential figure in Trump’s immediate orbit, after Susie Wiles, the campaign manager who is Trump’s new chief of staff.

Trump continued to lie about widespread electoral fraud that did not take place. In addition to not inviting then-president-elect Biden to the White House, Trump left Washington without attending the meeting. inauguration. This was the first time this had happened since Andrew Johnson took the oath of office from Ulysses S. Grant 155 years ago.

Biden insists he will do everything in his power to make the transition to the next Trump administration go smoothly. And this, even after spending more than a year campaigning for re-election and decrying Trump as a threat to democracy and the fundamental values ​​of the nation. Biden then withdrew from the race in July and was named vice president Kamala Harris to succeed him.

Traditionally, when the outgoing and incoming presidents meet in the West Wing, the first lady welcomes her successor to the residence floor. But her office said Melania Trump was not present, saying in a statement that “her husband’s return to the Oval Office to begin the transition process is encouraging and she wishes him every success.”

When Trump left Washington by 2021, even some senior Republicans had begun to denounce his role in inciting the mob that stormed the Capitol a few weeks earlier. But his election victory last week completes a political comeback that has seen Trump once again become the undisputed leader of the Republican Party.

Wednesday’s trip, however, was not the first time Trump returned to the Capitol area since the end of his first term. Congressional Republicans welcomed Trump over the summer, as Trump once again consolidated his dominance over the party.

In last week’s elections, Republicans wrested the Senate majority from Democrats and are poised to retain control of the House. leadership elections will take place behind closed doors on Wednesday. Johnson moved ever closer to Trump as he struggled to retain his majority — and his own job with the gavel.

Trump did not meet with the Senate in the morning, where Republicans chose Sen. John Thune of South Dakota in a vote. three-way race to replace outgoing GOP leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. Trump’s allies were pushing Republican senators to vote for Sen. Rick Scott of Florida.

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Associated Press writers Jill Colvin in New York and Farnoush Amiri, Darlene Superville and Kevin Freking contributed to this report.

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