While Democrats continue to lick their wounds and wonder what happened, lame-duck President Joe Biden says he will meet with President-Elect Trump at the White House on Wednesday, Nov. 13.
The meeting will be held at 11 a.m. local time in the Oval Office, according to the statement from Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
Mr. Biden extended the invitation for the meeting.
Such a meeting is customary between the outgoing president and the incoming president and is meant partly to mark the start of a peaceful transfer of power under America’s democracy. However, flashback to the 2020 election and at that time, Trump refused to welcome Biden after his defeat by the Democratic nominee, insisting he had won the election.
Trump will take office on 20 January to become the 47th president of the United States, winning the position back for the Republicans after soundly defeating his Democratic rival and the current U.S. vice-president, Kamala Harris, in the 5 November election.
“At President Biden’s invitation, President Biden and President-elect Trump will meet in the Oval Office on Wednesday,” the press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, said in a statement.
In a speech Thursday, Biden said he had assured Mr. Trump “that I would direct my entire administration to work with his team to ensure a peaceful and orderly transition. That’s what the American people deserve.”
Who Might Fill Trump’s Cabinet?
Meanwhile, speculation abounds about who might be filling critical cabinet positions in a second Trump administration.
The day after he was declared president-elect, Trump announced his campaign co-chair, Susie Wiles, would be his chief of staff. Wiles, an experienced political operative based in Florida, will be the first woman in U.S. history to fill the role. Chief of staff is not a Senate-confirmed position, but it is a prestigious position often considered to be part of the Cabinet.
Here are some other people Trump is considering or has chosen for critical Cabinet posts and top White House jobs.
Secretary of State
Sources with knowledge of the discussions say GOP Sen. Bill Hagerty of Tennessee is under serious consideration for secretary of state.
Treasury Secretary
Scott Bessent, the founder of a Connecticut-based hedge fund, Key Square Group, is a leading contender for Treasury secretary, and he’s been making a full-court press for the post, according to a source deeply involved in transition planning. Bessent has outside advocates building the case for him to Trump.
CIA Director
Former U.S. Rep. John Ratcliffe, the former Director of National Intelligence under the first Trump administration, is a top name being floated for CIA director, according to several sources familiar with the discussions.
Department of Homeland Security
Tom Homan is one of several names being floated for DHS secretary, according to multiple sources familiar with the transition discussions. Homan was the acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement during the first Trump administration.
Interestingly enough, while his name was floated as a possible return as Secretary of Defense, Trump said that neither Mike Pompeo nor Nikki Haley would be offered any positions in the second Trump cabinet.
“I will not be inviting former Ambassador Nikki Haley, or former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, to join the Trump Administration, which is currently in formation,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social Post. “I very much enjoyed and appreciated working with them previously and would like to thank them for their service to our Country.”