Donald Trump spent his first day as president-elect receiving congratulatory phone calls from his defeated opponent, world leaders and President Joe Biden.
Donald Trump spent his first day as president-elect receiving congratulatory phone calls from his defeated opponent, world leaders and President Joe Biden, as he began the process of turning his election victory into an administration.
Trump kept a low profile, staying out of the public eye after addressing supporters in Florida during the early hours of Wednesday.
The Vice President Kamala Harris called Trump to acknowledge his defeat and congratulate him, while Biden invited the man he ousted from the White House four years ago to a meeting in the Oval Office to prepare to hand back the keys.
“President Trump is looking forward to the meeting, which will take place shortly, and very much appreciated the call,” said Trump campaign communications director Steven Cheung.
Biden's chief of staff later Wednesday urged Trump's team to sign the federal agreements needed to begin an orderly presidential transition, according to a White House official. A source with knowledge of the Trump campaign said transition talks to take office on January 20, 2025 had not begun in earnest.
Instead, the president-elect was busy taking calls from leaders, national and international, donors and key supporters. Transition discussions are expected to intensify later in the week as attention turns to naming an inaugural committee and formal transition team.
The Associated Press news agency reports that Biden's chief of staff, Jeff Zients, contacted Trump transition co-chairs Howard Lutnick and Linda McMahon to reiterate the important role that agreements with the White House and the General Services Administration at the beginning of a presidential transition. The White House official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the delicate transition planning.
Lutnick and McMahon issued a statement Wednesday night saying Trump will select staff for his administration in the “days and weeks ahead,” but did not address agreements with the Biden administration.
“As he chooses the best people to join his team and the best policies to pursue, his transition team will ensure the implementation of President Trump's common sense agenda starting on day one,” they said.
The White House announced that Biden had spoken with the president-elect and expressed his commitment to ensuring a smooth transition, while emphasizing the importance of working to unite the country.
Biden also called Harris to congratulate her on her campaign. Trump and Harris spoke in a brief phone conversation in which the president-elect “recognized Vice President Harris for her strength, professionalism and tenacity throughout the campaign, and both leaders agreed on the importance of unifying the country,” according to Cheung .
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had an “excellent call” with Trump, who has threatened to cut off the steady flow of American aid and weapons to his nation in its fight against the nearly three-year-old Russian invasion. “I praised his family and his team for their great work,” Zelenskyy said. “We agreed to maintain close dialogue and advance our cooperation. Strong and unwavering American leadership is vital to the world and a just peace.”
French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer also called Trump, as did Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who spoke to the president-elect to express “the kingdom's aspiration to strengthen the historical and strategic relations between the two countries, wishing the friendly American people progress and prosperity under the leadership of His Excellency,” according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, US markets, banks and bitcoin rose on Wednesday, as did Tesla, owned by Elon Musk, an outspoken Trump supporter; while investors welcomed a problem-free election and Trump's return to the White House.
(With information from The Associated Press)