Melania Trump snubs Jill Biden as incoming First Lady breaks with major White House tradition

Both Melania and Donald Trump refused to meet with the Biden’s back in 2020 after a contentious election that Donald refused to concede which delayed the transition between the administrations

In coming First Lady Melania Trump will reportedly not be joining her husband, President-Elect Donald Trump, on a visit to the White House on Wednesday to meet with President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, according to reporting by The Daily Mail.

As per tradition, the outgoing president hosts the president-elect at The White House prior to taking office, and the current first lady hosts the incoming first lady for tea in the residence. In 2016 then First Lady Michelle Obama hosted Melania in the Yellow Room but Melania did not return the favor in 2020 when Biden defeated Trump in a highly contentious election that saw Trump repeatedly claim Biden’s win was illegitimate and he was the true winner.

The Daily Mail reported that Melania and Jill have not spoken since Trump’s defeat of Vice President Kamala Harris in last week’s election.

“Mrs. Trump is not going, and they have not spoken,” a source with knowledge said of the first ladies told Daily Mail of Wednesday’s presidential meeting.

The last time the two first ladies would have seen each other was at former First Lady Rosalynn Carter’s last November, as all former living first ladies attended. Melania has reportedly not planned on living in the White House full-time during her husband’s second term and plans on being a “part-time first lady,” The Daily Mail reported. Melania has not hired any staff as of yet and has not made any announcements as to her agenda.

Trump broke a long-standing tradition four years ago when he refused to meet with then-President-Elect Biden at the White House, refusing to concede the election and not attending his predecessor’s inauguration. Trump was the first living outgoing president since Andrew Johnson in 1869, not to attend his successor’s inauguration. Trump’s lack of cooperation with the incoming administration in 2020 reportedly delayed the presidential transition.

President Biden following Trump’s victory last week promised a peaceful and orderly transfer of power to the new administration.

“We accept the choice the country made,” Biden said “You can’t love your country only when you win”.

“The Bidens extended congratulations and a joint invite to the Trumps to meet at the White House,” Jill Biden’s office said

The president-elect is scheduled to meet with President Biden on Wednesday at The White House and the Biden’s said they plan on attending Trump’s inauguration on January 20. As is tradition Biden will welcome Trump to the White House on the morning of the inauguration where they will ride together to the Capitol for the ceremony.

Melania was noticeably absent during the campaign, only delivering one speech during Trump’s October rally at Madison Square Garden in New York City. According to The Daily Mail, she has begun working on the transition and building up an East Wing office.