First Lady Jill Biden is still extending her hand to former first lady Melania Trump, despite Melania skipping out on Wednesday’s meeting with the current First Lady and President.
President-elect Donald Trump and Biden met at the White House for the first time since Trump won the election – a traditional part of the presidential transition process.
Typically, the incoming first lady will also meet with the current first lady. But Melania declined the invitation, a spokesperson for Melania confirmed on X.
Sources familiar with the matter told CNN there was a scheduling conflict related to Melania’s recently released memoir.
Nevertheless, Jill handed Trump a handwritten congratulatory note to pass onto Melania, a spokesperson for the First Lady’s Office said.
Though it was not read publicly, the note also contained a message from Jill expressing her readiness to assist with the transition process.
As part of the peaceful transfer of power, it is tradition that the outgoing president and first spouse invite the incoming president and first spouse to the White House for a conversation with the press present.
Former president Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama did this for Trump and Melania in 2016.
But since Trump refused to accept the 2020 election results, he did not exchange the same invitation to the Bidens nor did the Trumps attend Biden’s inauguration.
However, Trump did leave a personal note for Biden in the Oval Office – another tradition of the transition process.
Though the election results are not what Democrats hoped for, especially after pushing Biden out of the race in part due to his debate performance against Trump, the president has maintained he and his administration will assist in a smooth transition process.
Part of that includes Jill extending any and all help to the incoming first lady.
It isn’t entirely surprising Melania could not, or would not, meet with the first lady and president – she was known to snub some traditions while serving as first lady from 2016 to 2020.
Her presence within her husband’s political world is nontraditional and she was not a regular on the campaign trail.
Only recently, Melania has begun to emerge into the spotlight again as part of her book promotion.
