WASHINGTON – The fireplace was crackling in the Oval Office on Wednesday morning as President Joe Biden shook hands with Donald Trump and congratulated him on his election victory.
“Welcome back,” Biden told Trump, who said the transition “would be as smooth as it can get.”
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It was a cordial exchange that was jarringly at odds with the strangeness of the political moment. Here was Biden, who once made it his mission to prevent his predecessor from becoming his successor, preparing to hand over power to Trump, who never conceded his defeat to Biden four years ago.
But official Washington, which still feels the aftershocks of Trump’s chaotic first term, appeared resigned to the potential earthquake of his second. There were no protests on the streets and no surprises during the past-and-future president’s nearly four-hour visit.
It was a far different scene than when Trump visited the city after his shocking victory over Hillary Clinton eight years ago. Back then, the country was still trying to figure out the real estate mogul and former reality television star, and Trump seemed somewhat nervous in his Oval Office meeting with out-going President Barack Obama.
Now, Trump is undeniably triumphant and confident in his return, solidifying his place in American politics by overcoming two impeachments, a criminal conviction and two assassination attempts to win a second term in the White House.
The victory lap began as soon as Trump touched down in his trademark red-white-and-dark-blue plane with his name emblazoned on the side.
“It’s nice to win,” Trump told House Republicans during his first meeting of the day.
He also hinted that he may not want to leave when his term was over.
“I suspect I won’t be running again unless you say ‘He’s so good we got to figure something else out,’” Trump said.
The lawmakers laughed. Was it really a joke? Or a suggestion that Trump views the constitutional prohibition on serving more than two terms as malleable?
There was no way to know for sure, an uncertainty that recalled the did-he-really-mean-that tone of Trump’s original stint in Washington. Either way, it seemed unlikely that Trump would face much resistance from a Republican Party that has been remolded in his image and will likely control all branches of the federal government.
“If Donald Trump says, ‘Jump three feet high and scratch your head,’ we all jump three feet high and scratch our head,” said Rep. Troy Nehls of Texas. He wore a “Make America Great Again” tie and gold Trump sneakers.
As if to demonstrate his dominance, Trump announced a series of loyalists for top administration positions, including Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general and former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard for national intelligence director. Concerns about their lack of qualifications could make it difficult for them to win Senate confirmation — but only if Senate Republicans decide to cross Trump by opposing them.
The meeting with House Republicans took place in a hotel conference room blocks from the U.S. Capitol, which Trump had urged his supporters to march on Jan. 6, 2021, as Congress was ceremonially certifying Biden's election victory. Fueled by Trump's false claims of voter fraud, rioters smashed windows, fought with police officers and tried to prevent the transfer of power.
They failed, but in subsequent years, Trump convinced Americans to set aside concerns about his attempt to remain in power and trust him to address their economic malaise and concerns about migration.
He won a decisive victory over Kamala Harris, the Democratic vice president who replaced Biden at the top of the ticket after a disastrous debate performance crystallized concerns about his age over the summer.
When Trump finished on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, his motorcade whisked him to the White House for the meeting with Biden. A few dozen Trump supporters stood outside the gate before he arrived, one holding a sign saying, “Welcome back.”
Scores of journalists crowded onto the grounds in hopes of catching a glimpse of Trump — so many the Secret Service ran out of the temporary passes that are given to visiting reporters.
Harris kept her distance. A person familiar with her schedule said she was holding private meetings at her official residence.
Trump's campaign said his visit to Washington was “a harbinger of the sweeping change to come in a few short weeks.”
An X factor for Trump's second presidency is Elon Musk, the world's richest man who is frequently at the president-elect's side. He owns the social media company formerly known as Twitter, as well as an electric vehicle manufacturer and a space rocket business with billions of dollars in government contracts. Trump said this week that Musk would help lead an advisory commission on government efficiency.
Musk joined Trump for his meeting with House Republicans and added star power of his own.
“He got three standing ovations,” said Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina.
It's not just the federal government that is coming around to the reality of Trump's return. City leaders are too.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said Tuesday that she's committed to “providing a smooth and collaborative transition” and she wants to work with the new administration on getting federal employees back to their offices to rejuvenate downtown areas.
She also appeared to be bracing for confrontations ahead.
“We’re not in a new place,” Bowser said. “We’ve been in this place before”
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Associated Press reporters Farnoush Amiri, Josh Boak, Kevin Freking, Ashraf Khalil, Zeke Miller, Darlene Superville and Will Weissert contributed to this report.