Biden extends a shock olive branch after Trump’s crushing election win
President Joe Biden called Donald Trump on Wednesday to congratulate him on his dominant victory over Kamala Harris and invited him to the White House.
The 81-year-old commander-in-chief extended the olive branch to the newly elected president, a week after calling his supporters “trash” and just hours after being confirmed as his successor.
The White House confirmed that Biden and Trump spoke on the phone and said the president “stressed the importance of working to bring the country together” and ensuring a “smooth transition.”
It was a similar tone that was emphasized when Kamala Harris spoke on the phone to the 78-year-old to allow the 2024 election to take place after Trump captured the majority of swing states.
Trump and Biden frequently exchanged deeply personal comments during the campaign, with the Republican focusing on the president’s decline and the Democrat saying he was the kind of person he would like to “kick in the ass**.”
Biden will address the country on Thursday about the election results.
President Joe Biden called predecessor and successor Donald Trump to congratulate him on his dominant victory over Kamala Harris and invited him to the White House
The president has previously said he will attend Trump’s inauguration in January, after the president-elect skipped his in 2020 and instead flew straight to Mar-a-Lago after leaving the White House.
Some speculated and reports emerged that Biden harbored a bitter grudge against his No. 2 after she replaced him atop the Democratic presidential ticket.
On July 21, 2024, after a month of pressure from his party on X, Biden announced that he was ending his re-election bid. He followed with another message saying Harris would take over his campaign.
With only a few weeks to go until the Democratic National Convention, the party had little choice at that point but to accept the vice president as their new nominee.
Harris had a warning for the president-elect on Wednesday, lecturing him while congratulating him on a solid victory in the race for the White House.
“She discussed the importance of a peaceful transition of power and the presidency for all Americans,” a senior Harris aide said.
The vice president repeatedly promised during her campaign to be a president “for all Americans.”
Harris will concede to the nation at Howard University later on Wednesday afternoon — nearly 12 hours after the election was called for her Republican rival. Trump is spending the day at his home in Mar-a-Lago.
The calls came hours after Trump was declared the winner, leaving Democrats reeling and in a 2016 state of shock.
The 81-year-old commander-in-chief extended the olive branch to the newly elected president, a week after calling his supporters “trash” and hours after being confirmed as his successor.
Trump and Biden met on the debate stage in June in an appearance that led to the litany that forced the Democrat to drop out of the race
Kamala Harris called Trump 78 years old to finally concede the election on Wednesday, hours after her defeat was confirmed
Harris’ concession call, which was confirmed shortly before 2 p.m. ET, came after Michigan was called for the president-elect, becoming the third state in the “blue wall” of states that would decide the election.
Trump’s team confirmed Harris’ call, saying the president-elect recognized Harris’ “professionalism” and “tenacity.”
‘[B]All leaders agreed on the importance of uniting the country,” said Trump campaign director Steven Cheung.
“President Donald J. Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris spoke by phone earlier today and congratulated him on his historic victory,” Trump communications director Steven Cheung said in a statement.
“President Trump recognized Vice President Harris for her strength, professionalism and tenacity throughout the campaign, and both leaders agreed on the importance of unifying the country.”
Trump now has 292 electoral votes to Harris’ 224. It takes 270 votes to become president.
Harris is on track to do worse than Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential election. She could even be on track to have the worst result of any Democrat in the Electoral College since the 1988 election.
Democrats were counting on the “blue wall” to give Harris the White House. But Trump won the trio of states: Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.
While the swing states of Nevada and Arizona remain up in the air, Trump has enough Electoral College votes to sail him to the White House in January.
Any results could only enhance his victory over the vice president.
Nevada, Arizona and Alaska are the only states not called by the Associated Press. And as of Wednesday afternoon, all three are leaning in the former president’s favor.