US President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris paid their respects to the nation's fallen soldiers on Veterans Day, participating in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery on November 11, 2024. This event marked Biden's first public appearance with Harris since her defeat in the recent presidential election. The ceremony, held at the historic Arlington National Cemetery, which is located across the Potomac River from Washington, was also Harris's first public appearance since her concession speech on November 6, where she acknowledged Donald Trump's victory. As Democrats engage in introspective discussions about the reasons behind Harris's loss, some have pointed to Biden's decision to run for re-election at the age of 81, despite his earlier promise to serve as a transitional president to the next generation. Criticism of Harris has been relatively subdued, with Biden publicly praising her during a televised White House address last Thursday. Earlier on Veterans Day, Biden hosted veterans at the White House before proceeding to Arlington, the final resting place of two presidents, numerous generals, and thousands of military personnel. Both Biden and Harris, dressed in dark suits, placed their hands over their hearts during the wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The president was scheduled to deliver remarks at the cemetery's Memorial Amphitheater. This ceremony precedes Biden's planned meeting with Trump at the White House on Wednesday. Trump has already started appointing loyalists to his new administration, including naming Tom Homan as his 'border czar' and Elise Stefanik as the US ambassador to the United Nations. Although Trump has publicly professed his support for the military, he has made several controversial remarks about veterans. His former White House chief of staff, retired general John Kelly, has alleged that Trump privately disparaged US servicemembers, referring to those who died or were imprisoned defending America as 'suckers' and 'losers.' Trump denies these accusations. However, the soon-to-be 47th president has previously expressed disdain for the late American war hero and senator John McCain, who endured years of captivity in a Hanoi prison during the Vietnam War.

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