First Lady Jill Biden has reportedly claimed that Melania Trump refused to take her up on an offer of a customary transition meeting over tea. Traditionally, the White House hosts the outgoing and incoming first ladies in a meeting over tea to signal the transition from one administration to the next; that was skipped this time around.
In an interview conducted on 5 January, Biden said she extended an invitation to Melania Trump, hoping to meet for tea. She further wrote a note, after her invitation was declined, and handed it to President-elect Donald Trump during his visit to the Notre Dame Cathedral reopening in December.
BREAKING: First Lady Jill Biden exudes absolute class by passing a note to Melania Trump after the incoming MAGA First Lady disgracefully declined her traditional invitation for tea at the White House.
This is how you respond to tactlessness with grace…
“I congratulated her… pic.twitter.com/1bSYJQeUVv
— Occupy Democrats (@OccupyDemocrats) January 15, 2025
“I congratulated her and offered my help,” Biden said of the note. According to her, Melania Trump didn’t say a word until they briefly spoke at former President Jimmy Carter’s state funeral last week. During the encounter, Trump thanked the outgoing First Lady, but her initial invitation remained unaddressed.
The Trump transition team was contacted for a comment on the matter but has yet to respond. But Melania isn’t the only one to have broken the traditions of a presidential transition as former First Lady Michelle Obama announced that she will not attend Trump’s upcoming inauguration either, citing a “scheduling conflict.” She skipped Carter’s state funeral as well, where she would have been seated next to the incoming president.
Former Second Lady Karen Pence drew attention at the state funeral when she remained seated as President Joe Biden approached. Her husband, former Vice President Mike Pence did shake Biden’s hand, though.
Jill Biden declined the traditional invitation for tea at the White House with Melania.
Kamala Harris is refusing to invite JD Vance to the Naval Observatory before the inauguration.
Michelle Obama won’t even be in attendance at the inauguration with his husband.
The Democrats…
— Joey Mannarino (@JoeyMannarinoUS) January 15, 2025
These departures from precedent reveal the stress around the current presidential transition, which have less to do with decorum than with politics. Whether these omissions of graciousness will become the new norm remains to be seen, but they represent an important shift in how contemporary first ladies manage transitions of power.
As Melania Trump gears up to return to the White House, it must be noted that she has inspired an upcoming Amazon Prime documentary about her life. “I had the idea to make a film about my life,” she shared. Calling her life “incredible and busy,” Melania revealed that she asked her agent to secure the project after positive feedback on her memoir last year.
