CRUNCH MEETING
Trump to meet Biden TODAY for first time since his election triumph left Dems reeling as Donald makes top cabinet picks
Among Trump's cabinet choices is his pal Elon Musk who given a top position
DONALD Trump is set to visit President Joe Biden in the White House today following his sweeping victory in the presidential election.
The Republican victor, 78, won the keys to the Oval Office as his party took control of the House and Senate in a crushing three-pronged blow to the Democrats.
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Now outgoing President Biden is set to sit down with Trump as part of his promised "peaceful and orderly transition".
The Dems repeatedly made a point of touching on a friendly transfer of power during the 2024 campaign - following the Capitol riot after Biden's win in 2020.
Extremists who believed the election had been rigged stormed the government building in an attempt to overturn the result.
It now falls to the Dems to concede gracefully to Trump - who is already selecting top brass for his incoming cabinet.
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The invitation of a President-elect by a sitting President to the White House before Inauguration Day is a long-standing tradition, but was shunned by Trump himself when Biden won in 2020.
When they meet later today it will be the first time an outgoing president sits down with an incoming one that they've run against in a campaign since 1992.
Republican President George Bush met with President-elect Bill Clinton some two weeks after they faced off on election day.
Biden ran against Trump for over a year before pulling out of the race in July and endorsing Kamala Harris, who lost to Trump last week.
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Some such meetings over the years have been tense - others friendly - many somewhere in between.
Trump’s granddaughter gives unprecedented access to Mar-a-Lago election bash
Incoming First Lady Melania Trump will also attend.
Speaking about his invitation to Trump, Biden said: "I assured him that I’d direct my entire administration to work with his team."
A spokesman for Trump said he was "looking forward" to it.
Barack Obama invited him to the White House for the same tradition in 2016 - just days after the election.
Less than 10 days after the 2024 vote Trump has already carved out a sect of his upcoming cabinet - assigning roles that will be crucial in facilitating his plans on immigration and foreign policy.
His pal Elon Musk will lead newly forged Department of Government Efficiency - as "secretary of cost-cutting" - alongside Republican Vivek Ramaswamy.
ANALYSIS: Trump is moving fast, breaking things - and Elon is just the start
by Harry Cole, Political Editor of The Sun
PEOPLE joked about Elon Musk joining the Trump administration - and lo and behold, he's actually done it.
He's not been given a formal government job - and won't be in the White House - but he's setting up the Department of Government Efficiency.
That is DOGE for short - and internet fans will know this is a small fluffy dog meme, of which Musk is a fan.
Again, everyone thought he was joking about the name - and now he's gone and done it.
Musk will lead this efficiency drive, looking at where government savings can be made.
He will be applying the sort of private sector efficiency that he is so famed for at Tesla and at SpaceX.
This is a guy who puts reusable rockets in the air and grabs them out of the sky with giant chopsticks.
He knows what he is talking about.
Left-wing media have sneered at Musk since he backed Trump as they see the Republican as toxic.
But Musk is clearly an incredibly intelligent guy who is going to devote his time and resources to the United States.
It is clear Trump is moving fast - and he is breaking things.
This is his second term and don't forget he can't be reelected again, he's only got one more chance to do things in a very different way.
When he came into office in 2016, there was a bit of a rush to make lots of appointments.
He is the first to admit he chose some bad bad ones.
But this time around it's going to be a very different presidency - starting with bringing in Musk.
Trump is sending a signal: "Business as usual is over."
The President-Elect also stunned the Pentagon by nominating Fox News host Pete Hegseth to serve as his defense secretary.
He has picked Florida senator Marco Rubio for Secretary of State - a Republican known for his tough positions on China and Iran.
Elise Stefanik, GOP conference chair and staunch Israel ally, will serve as United Nations ambassador - as the war rages on in Gaza.
Kristi Noem, South Dakota governor, is set to be Homeland Security secretary working with Trump on his immigration plans.
Tom Homan has been appointed as Trump's "border czar", marking future plans to crack down on immigration and oversee America's borders.
His Chief of Staff will be loyalist Susie Wiles who spent years running his campaign - marking the first woman to hold the position.
Director of the Central Intelligence Agency will be former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe - a close ally of Trump who served during his initial four years in office.
Trump is also expected to assign senior advisory roles to his family - namely his sons Eric and Donald Trump Jr.
His daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner both held high-ranking White House roles in his first term.
Meanewhile it emerged Melania Trump will not be attending today's meeting at the White House.
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A statement on her social media read: "Mrs. Trump will not be attending today’s meeting at the White House.
"Her husband’s return to the Oval Office to commence the transition process is encouraging, and she wishes him great success. "
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