Biden delivers remarks after Trump's win over Harris – NBC4 Washington

President Joe Biden addressed the nation on Thursday, emphasizing the importance of an orderly transition to President-elect Donald Trump following his decisive victory over Vice President Kamala Harris.

Biden said from the Rose Garden that the American people deserve a “peaceful and orderly” transfer of power, adding that “in a democracy, the will of the people always prevails.”

Biden said he hoped Trump's victory would reassure the American people that the electoral system was fair and secure, a subtle nod to Trump's refusal to accept his own election defeat in 2020.

“I also hope that we can resolve the question of the integrity of the American electoral system. It’s honest, it’s fair and it’s transparent and you can trust it whether you win or lose,” Biden said.

Biden addressed one of the challenges he and Harris failed to address in this election – the state of the economy – and noted that while the American people feel some of the laws passed by his administration, “the vast majority of them do not.” 10 be noticeable for years.

“We have passed laws that are only now really taking effect,” Biden said.

He concluded by saying that defeat does not mean you are defeated. “Setbacks are inevitable, but giving up is unforgettable,” he said. “America is persevering. We’ll get by, but we have to stay committed.”

On Wednesday, the White House announced that Biden had spoken with Trump and expressed his commitment to a smooth transition while emphasizing the importance of working to bring the country together. Biden invited the man he ousted from the White House four years ago to a meeting in the Oval Office to prepare for the return of the keys.

“President Trump looks forward to the meeting that will take place shortly and greatly appreciated the call,” said Steven Cheung, communications director for the Trump campaign.

Biden's chief of staff later Wednesday urged the Trump team to sign the necessary federal agreements needed to begin an orderly presidential transition, a White House official said.

A source familiar with the Trump campaign said transition talks to assume power on Jan. 20, 2025 have not yet begun in earnest. Instead, the president-elect was busy fielding calls from national and international leaders, donors and key supporters. Discussions about the transition are expected to intensify throughout the week as attention turns to naming an inaugural committee and a formal transition team.

Jeff Zients, Biden's chief of staff, contacted Trump transition co-chairs Howard Lutnick and Linda McMahon to emphasize the important role that agreements with the White House and the General Services Administration play in ushering in a presidential transition. The White House official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive transition planning.

The delay is hampering the federal government's ability to begin processing security clearances for potential national security officials in the Trump administration, which could limit the number of its employees who could work on sensitive information by Inauguration Day. This also means that they do not yet have access to federal facilities, documents and personnel to prepare for taking office.

The agreements are required by the Presidential Transition Act and require the president-elect's team to agree to an ethics plan and limit and disclose private donations. In the law, Congress set a deadline of September 1 for the GSA agreement and October 1 for the White House agreement to ensure that future administrations are ready to govern when they take office on January 20.

Lutnick and McMahon released a statement late Wednesday saying Trump would select personnel for his administration in the “coming days and weeks” but did not address arrangements with the Biden administration.

“As he selects the best people for his team and selects the best policies to pursue, his transition team will ensure the implementation of President Trump’s common sense agenda from day one,” they said.

Biden also called Harris to praise her for her campaign. And Trump and Harris spoke in a phone call 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,” Trump said. Speaker Steven Cheung.

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