Incoming First Lady Melania Trump will reportedly skip the traditional White House meeting with First Lady Jill Biden, marking a break from custom. The meeting, typically a gesture of goodwill and collaboration between outgoing and incoming first families, was scheduled for Wednesday at 11 a.m. However, Melania has a scheduling conflict related to the promotion of her newly released memoir. While the Bidens extended their congratulations and an invitation, sources indicate that Melania has declined the offer.
This departure from tradition follows a similar situation in 2020 when a meeting between Jill Biden and Melania Trump did not occur, as former President Donald Trump refused to meet with President-elect Joe Biden after his election loss, citing unfounded claims of election fraud. This year’s White House meeting is significant, as it marks the first time an outgoing president has met with an incoming one he directly contested since 1992, when President George H.W. Bush met with President-elect Bill Clinton.
In 2016, outgoing President Barack Obama and then-President-elect Trump held a cordial 90-minute meeting in the Oval Office, despite initial tensions. Trump later expressed respect for Obama, though the meeting’s cooperative tone was short-lived during Trump’s contentious presidency.
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