Washington DC : Former US First Lady Melania Trump is not expected to attend the traditional White House meeting with first lady Jill Biden, according to a report by CNN.
This development follows on the heels of Donald Trump's victory in the 2024 US Elections.As per CNN, the sources familiar with Melania Trump's plans cited a prior scheduling conflict for the former first lady related to her newly released memoir. One source said the decision had not been finalized.
Jill Biden extended Melania Trump the customary invitation last week as her husband also invited the president-elect to the Oval Office, a symbolic gesture to show the country and the world that there will be a peaceful transition of power.Donald Trump and Joe Biden are set to meet on Wednesday, according to the White House.
There was discussion about encouraging Melania Trump to come to Washington for the meeting, as some members of the president-elect's team felt it was important, the report stated.
Aside from 2020, it has been tradition for the current first lady to host the incoming first lady at the White House. In 2016, then-first lady Michelle Obama hosted Melania Trump for tea in the White House's Yellow Oval Room and took her on a tour of the private residence.
In a historic political comeback, Donald Trump won a second term as President of the United States after securing 295 electoral votes in the 2024 presidential election, defeating Democratic rival Kamala Harris, who garnered 226 votes.
This makes Trump the first US president since 1892 to return to office after losing a previous election. Trump's return to the White House marks only the second time in US history that a president will serve two non-consecutive terms. The first such instance was Grover Cleveland, who served as president in 1884 and 1892. Trump had earlier served as US President from 2016 to 2020.