White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday that President Biden still believes President-elect Trump poses an “existential threat” to democracy.
But when asked by a reporter about Biden's relative silence since the election about the “threat” he believes Trump poses, Jean-Pierre said: “We're in a different place now.” .
“The election took place, the American people made their voices heard, and the will of the American people was very clear,” he told reporters at the daily White House press briefing.
Biden met with Trump at the White House last week and promised a “smooth transition” as the 45th and soon-to-be 47th president returns to office in January.
President Trump thanks Biden for 'smooth transition of power' during White House meeting
President Biden (right) meets with President-elect Trump in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on November 13. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
The heart-warming meeting between the two sides came on the heels of a heated election day before Biden and Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris each called Trump a “fascist” and repeatedly warned that American democracy would be at risk if Trump won. It was in stark contrast to the rhetoric.
After shaking Biden's hand and welcoming him back to the White House, Trump said with a smile: “Politics is tough and often it's not a very good world, but today it's a good world.”
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Biden called Trump a “fascist” in comments made before the Republican candidate won the 2024 presidential election. (Brian Snyder/Reuters | Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Jean-Pierre said Thursday that Biden's change in tone reflects his efforts to “lead by example” to ensure a peaceful transfer of power.
“He feels he has an obligation. What he said still stands, but we are in a different place now. We are — the American people said so. They are at peace. “We deserve a transfer of power,” she said.
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He reiterated that Biden's beliefs about Trump “haven't changed.”
Biden offered Trump a visit to the White House, an invitation he himself never accepted.
Four years ago, after losing the election to Biden, Trump refused to concede and unsuccessfully tried to overturn the result.
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Breaking with longstanding tradition, Trump did not invite Biden to the White House. And on January 6, 2021, two weeks after Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to overturn Congress' certification of Biden's electoral victory, Trump appeared in Washington, D.C., ahead of his successor's inauguration. He became the first sitting president in 100 years. One and a half years to skip the inauguration of his successor.
The meeting between Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump was the first since the two faced off in their only debate in Atlanta on June 27, in which most viewers believed that Mr. Biden was decisive. I decided that I had lost. He withdrew from the 2024 election and endorsed Harris a month later.
Fox News Digital's Brooke Singman and Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
