Joe Biden welcomed Donald Trump to the White House on Nov. 13.
The US president and president-elect shook hands in front of a roaring Oval Office fire, promising a smooth transition - a stark contrast to Trump's refusal to concede defeat in 2020.
"Welcome back," the 81-year-old Biden said as he greeted the 78-year-old Trump and offered brief opening remarks to the man he has repeatedly denounced as a danger to democracy.
Biden, who dropped out of the race in July but saw his successor Kamala Harris lose to Trump last week, said he was "looking forward to having a smooth transition" and vowed to do "everything I can to make sure you're seated appropriately."
As the two presidents, with a combined age of 159, shook hands, Biden seemed to look down as Trump leaned forward and looked him in the eye.
Trump riled up the mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol in 2021 and ran a brutal and divisive election campaign this year - but tried to maintain a polite tone on his return visit to the White House.
"Politics is tough and in many cases it's not a very pleasant world. It's a nice world today and I appreciate it very much," Trump said, as quoted by AFP.
Trump added that the transition of power would be "as smooth as it can get."
He will return to the White House on January 20 with sweeping legislative power after US media predicted Republicans had won a majority in the US House of Representatives.
The victory gives the party a clean sweep in Congress, giving Trump free rein to pursue his promises of mass migrant deportations and retribution against his political opponents.
But even as Democrats recover from the election, Biden is determined to make a show of doing the right thing.
His invitation to the Oval Office restored a tradition that Trump destroyed when he lost the 2020 election by refusing to sit down with Biden or even attend the inauguration.
White House spokeswoman Carine Jean-Pierre said the talks lasted nearly two hours and were "very cordial, very polite," adding that Trump "came with a detailed set of questions."
The two presidents discussed Ukraine and the Middle East, two looming conflicts that the isolationist Trump administration must address.
Trump is skeptical of U.S. aid to Ukraine, but Biden stressed the importance of "standing together" with Kiev against the Russian invasion, national security adviser Jake Sullivan said.
Absent from the event was future first lady Melania Trump, who was in the shadows during the campaign and spent much of Trump's first term away from the White House.
Outgoing first lady Jill Biden joined Biden in welcoming Trump and "delivered to Mr. Trump a handwritten congratulatory letter for Mrs. Trump," the White House said.
The only other people who were in the room for talks after the handshake were Biden's chief of staff, Jeff Zienz, and Trump's incoming chief of staff, Suzi Wiles, the White House said.
Meanwhile, Trump continues to work on his transition plans - and beyond.
In a meeting with Republicans at a Washington hotel ahead of the White House meeting, an agitated Trump suggested he might even be ready for a third term - which would violate the U.S. Constitution.
"I suspect I won't run again unless you say, 'He's good, we've got to figure something else out,'" he said, eliciting some laughter in the room.
Trump spent the week after the election at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, picking a host of ultraloyalists to work in his administration.
At the meeting with Republicans, he was accompanied by the world's richest man, Elon Musk, whom he appointed to head a new group whose goal is to cut government spending.
Trump also appointed Florida senator and China supporter Marco Rubio as his secretary of state, and a day earlier surprised many by nominating Fox News host Pete Hegseth as his secretary of defense.
Tulsi Gabbard, an ex-military who left the Democratic Party and whose pro-Russian stance sparked a media scandal, was chosen as director of national intelligence.
Immediately after the Russian invasion in February 2022, she wrote on the social network X:
"This war and this suffering could have been avoided if the Biden administration and NATO had simply taken into account Russia's legitimate concerns about Ukraine joining the alliance."
Matt Gaetz was named the new Attorney General. In doing so, Trump rewarded the loyalty of a staunch ally who has defended the Republican in his court battles and impeachment fight.
"Few issues in America are more important than ending the partisan weaponization of our justice system," Trump wrote on social media.
"Matt will end corrupt government ... and restore Americans' badly shattered faith and trust in the Department of Justice," he added. | BGNES