THE White House defend the president Joe Bidenthe decision to invite the president-elect Donald Trump for an Oval Office discussion on the presidential transition process, four years after Trump denied Biden the same courtesy after losing the 2020 election.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean Pierre told reporters during his daily press briefing Tuesday that Biden extended the invitation to Trump because of his respect for the peaceful transfer of power that has been a hallmark of the American system of government for nearly 250 years.

Asked why he was granting Trump exactly the kind of privilege Biden himself was denied four years ago, Jean-Pierre said the question was “easy” to answer.

“Because he believes in norms, he believes in our institutions, he believes in the peaceful transfer of power,” she said.

Jean-Pierre went on to stress that the transfer of power was as important to the American people as it was to Biden himself, citing Biden’s statement last week in which he said the American people are entitled to it.

“He said, ‘The American people deserve this. They deserve a peaceful transfer of power. They deserve a smooth transition, and that’s what you’re going to see,” she said, adding that Biden had requested the meeting, which will take place in the Oval Office on Wednesday morning.

The White House press secretary also told reporters that Vice President Kamala Harris would not be present at the meeting because her involvement is “not the norm” for such post-election meetings between presidents and presidents-elect .

At the same time, she emphasized that Biden is “committed…to ensuring that this transition is effective” and “efficient.”

“We want this to be a process that gets the job done, if you will. And so…we’re going to do everything we can,” she said. “The president trusts his team to get this done and do it in the best way possible, and that is our commitment.”

She later added that Biden “wants to show the American people that the system is working properly.”