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- Ashley Biden, President-elect Joe Biden’s daughter, confirmed that first lady Melania Trump has not reached out to incoming first lady Jill Biden about a White House meeting before the inauguration.
- “I don’t think they’re doing the traditional protocol, which is unfortunate, but I think we’re all okay with it,” the soon-to-be first daughter told NBC News in an interview that aired Tuesday.
- Normally, the outgoing first lady hosts her successor for tea and a tour of the White House during the months between Election Day and the inauguration.
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Ashley Biden, President-elect Joe Biden’s daughter, confirmed that first lady Melania Trump has not reached out to incoming first lady Jill Biden about a White House meeting, breaking yet another long-standing tradition in the transfer of power between administrations.
“I don’t think they’re doing the traditional protocol, which is unfortunate, but I think we’re all okay with it,” the soon-to-be first daughter told NBC News in an interview that aired Tuesday.
Normally, the outgoing first lady hosts her successor for tea and a tour of the White House during the months between Election Day and the inauguration. The gesture is symbolic of the peaceful transfer of power and former first families, including the Obamas, have described meetings between the outgoing and incoming families as essential to a smooth transition.
President Donald Trump has refused to concede defeat and continues to falsely claim that the election was “stolen” and “rigged” by Democrats, a baseless conspiracy theory that fueled thousands of his loyalists to storm the Capitol earlier this month.
The president-elect called it “a good thing” that Trump has refused to attend his inauguration, but welcomed Vice President Mike Pence, who announced he would attend the inaugural events following the Capitol siege.
The president and first lady are scheduled to skip Biden's inauguration on Wednesday - a significant break with tradition - and fly to their Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida around noon after a goodbye celebration at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.
Melania released a "farewell" video on Monday, calling her time in the White House "the greatest honor of my life."
—TODAY (@TODAYshow) January 19, 2021