President-Elect Donald Trump will meet Joe Biden in the Oval Office on Wednesday, the White House says, in their first encounter since the election
Meanwhile, Trump is preparing for his return to office at his Florida estate Mar-a-Lago
Environmental lawyer and vaccine sceptic Robert F Kennedy Jr is on the shortlist to become Trump’s health secretary, sources tell the BBC’s partner CBS
Elsewhere, Republicans are narrowly short of a majority in the House of Representatives as counting continues
The Republicans have already won back control of the Senate – a House win would give them significant power to enact Donald Trump’s agenda
As we mentioned, President Joe Biden will meet with Donald Trump in the Oval Office next week.
Meetings between presidents and their elected successors are traditional – aside from 2020 when Trump did not organise one with Biden.
Usually they talk about the transition period and the issues involved in setting up a White House administration.
When Barack Obama hosted Trump, they also discussed foreign and domestic policy and agreed to work together to help “the country succeed”, Obama said.
And when President George Bush invited Obama to the Oval Office in 2008, they discussed economic and security issues. While they spoke, their wives Laura Bush and Michelle Obama toured the White House grounds.
Meetings between Biden and Trump have been rare
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While Joe Biden and Donald Trump will meet at the White House on Wednesday, public meetings between the pair aren’t particularly common.
They were watched on TV screens around the world in June for the first debate in the presidential election, debating the economy, abortion and foreign policy.
Biden’s ill-fated debate appearance eventually led to him dropping out of the race for the White House in July – he was replaced by Kamala Harris at the top of the Democratic ticket.
