President Joe Biden welcomed President-elect Donald Trump to the White House on Wednesday for a visit that is a traditional part of the peaceful handoff of power — a ritual Trump himself declined to participate in four years ago. Biden greeted Trump with a handshake in the Oval Office meeting, with each pledging a smooth transition from a Democrat to a Republican administration. Biden told the president-elect "Congratulations,” adding that he looked "forward to a smooth transition.” In reply, Trump thanked Biden. "Politics is tough. And it's, in many cases, not a very nice world. But it is a nice world today and I appreciate it very much," Trump said.