Biden and Trump hold Thanksgiving phone call

President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump spoke on the phone during the Thanksgiving holiday last week, according to two people familiar with the call.

The phone conversation, which has not been previously reported, marks the only known communication between the two leaders since Biden hosted Trump at the White House for a meeting in the Oval Office on November 13, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

According to sources, Trump initiated the call to wish Biden a happy Thanksgiving. They added that the conversation was brief and did not delve into substantive matters.

The Bidens spent the Thanksgiving holiday in Nantucket, Massachusetts, surrounded by close family, including their son Hunter and daughter Ashley.

When asked by reporters last Friday whether he anticipated further communication with Trump before the inauguration, Biden replied, “I expect so.”

This phone call and Biden’s invitation for Trump to visit the White House represent a shift from the transition process four years ago following the 2020 election. In contrast to the current transition, Trump did not host Biden at the White House after his defeat and declined to extend the customary invitation.

The Trump administration also delayed the transition process, contesting the election results and impeding Biden’s team from establishing a smooth handover. Trump also made history by becoming the first outgoing president in 150 years to skip his successor’s inauguration, opting not to attend Biden’s swearing-in ceremony in 2021.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre emphasized in a press briefing before the 2024 election that Biden would attend the inauguration in January, regardless of the election outcome. Senior deputy press secretary Andrew Bates reiterated this sentiment last week, confirming that Biden plans to be present at the event.

By Vugar Khalilov