President-elect Donald Trump met with President Joe Biden in the Oval Office Wednesday, as Trump made his first visit to the White House since 2021 and his first visit to Washington since winning last week’s election.

“Politics is tough, and in many cases it’s not a nice world, but it is a nice world today,” Trump told reporters as he sat next to Biden.

Biden invited Trump to the White House in keeping with a longtime tradition, albeit one that the president-elect refused to do four years ago. Trump refused to accept the results of the election in 2020, leading to the attack on the Capitol on the following January 6. He also declined to attend Biden’s inauguration.

By contrast, Biden plans to attend the January 20 ceremony.

“Congratulations and I look forward to a smooth transition,” Biden said.

“It will be as smooth as it can get and I very much appreciate that, Joe,” Trump said.

The two presidents also shook hands.

Melania Trump was not with her husband on the trip, as it has been a tradition for the incoming and outgoing first ladies to also meet. First Lady Jill Biden joined her husband in greeting Trump to the White House, and gave him a handwritten letter to congratulate Melania Trump and to express her willingness to assist in the transition, the White House said.

Earlier, Trump met with congressional Republicans for a closed-door gathering at the Hyatt Regency in Washington.