Donald Trump and Joe Biden meet at White House

ITV News US Correspondent Dan Rivers reports on Donald Trump's triumphant return to the White House, as President Joe Biden begins the transfer of power to the President-elect

US President-elect Donald Trump was welcomed to the White House on Wednesday, to begin the transfer of power.

“Donald, congratulations,” President Joe Biden said, greeting Trump with a handshake and adding that he looked “forward to a smooth transition.”

Trump made a similar pledge and expressed thanks to Biden for the invitation - one that Trump himself had not extended to Biden after losing the 2020 election.

“Thank you very much," Trump said. "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.”

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Trump, flying from Florida, arrived at a military base near the Capitol, meeting up with billionaire Elon Musk for a morning session with House Republicans, as they prepare for a potentially unified Republican government and a sweep of power.

Back in Washington DC for the first time since his election victory, Trump told the GOP lawmakers, “It’s nice to win.”

Trump received a standing ovation from House Republicans, many of whom took videos of him as ran through their party's victories up and down the ballot, in what would be, under the constitutional limits, his final presidential election.

“I suspect I won’t be running again unless you say he’s good we got to figure something else,” Trump said to laughter from the lawmakers.

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