The ceremonial passing of the torch between U.S. presidents took a surprisingly sharp turn this inauguration season. When Donald Trump arrived at the White House to meet with outgoing President Joe Biden before being sworn in for his second term on January 20, observers caught a revealing moment. Expert lip readers identified a cutting two-word comment Trump directed at Biden during their interaction.
This tense exchange occurred during the traditional pre-inauguration meeting between incoming and outgoing first families. The moment carried extra significance following Biden’s dramatic July withdrawal from the race amid growing concerns about his age and health. The octogenarian president had stated his departure was “what’s best for both my party and the nation,” throwing his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic standard-bearer.
Trump’s commanding electoral college victory (securing 312 votes) paved the way for swift action once in office. The new administration immediately began overturning key Biden policies through executive orders. One of Trump’s most attention-grabbing early decisions involved issuing pardons or sentence reductions for more than 1,500 January 6 defendants, as reported by the BBC.
