Politico | Joe Biden, Donald Trump aides see little value in White House meeting
- As of this weekend, Trump has waited longer than any president in nearly a century to sit down with his successor
- Advisers say he and Biden may never come face to face, even on the incoming leader’s Inauguration Day
This story is published in a content partnership with POLITICO. It was originally reported by Theodoric Meyer and Daniel Lippman on politico.com on December 21, 2020.
As of this weekend, US President Donald Trump has now waited longer than any president in nearly a century to sit down with his successor at the White House – a tradition aimed at highlighting the peaceful transfer of power that is at the core of American democracy.
And advisers to Trump say he and President-elect Joe Biden may never come face to face, even on Inauguration Day, blowing up another American political ritual.
But while Biden said in a CNN interview earlier this month that Trump’s presence at his inauguration would be symbolically important, neither side sees much value in the two men conversing … ever.
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“In normal circumstances, it is one more indication of the peaceful transfer of power and the depth of our respect for democracy,” said John Podesta, who as President Bill Clinton’s chief of staff welcomed President-elect George W. Bush and his top aides to the White House on December 19, 2000, a meeting that was delayed by the Florida recount and court challenges to the election results.