In a cordial meeting which marked the beginning of transfer of power, President Barack Obama and President-elect Donald Trump met at the White House on Thursday. Obama called the 90-minute meeting "excellent.”
His successor, Donald Trump said he looked forward to receiving the outgoing president's "counsel.”
We now are going to want to do everything we can to help you succeed because if you succeed the country succeeds.Barack Obama, President, United States of America
Also Read: Obama-Trump Meeting at the White House: Issues They Don’t Agree On
The two men, who have been harshly critical of each other for years, were meeting for the first time. The Republican said he looked forward "to dealing with the president in the future, including counsel."
Trump-Obama: A Bitter Animosity
Obama blasted Trump throughout the campaign as unfit to serve as a commander-in- chief. Trump spent years challenging the legitimacy of Obama's presidency, falsely suggesting Obama may have been born outside the United States.
But at least publicly, the two men appeared to put aside their animosity. As the meeting concluded and journalists scrambled out of the Oval Office, Obama smiled at his successor and explained the unfolding scene.
If Trump fulfils his campaign promises, he’ll wipe away much of what Obama has done during his eight years in office. The Republican president-elect, who will govern with Congress fully under GOP control, has vowed to repeal Obama’s signature health care law and dismantle the landmark nuclear accord with Iran.
First Lady Michelle Obama Meets Melania Trump
First lady Michelle Obama also met Trump's wife, Melania privately in the White House residence, while Vice President Joe Biden prepared to see Vice President-elect Mike Pence later on Thursday.
Trump traveled to Washington from New York on his private jet, breaking with protocol by not bringing journalists in his motorcade or on his plane to document his historic visit to the White House. Trump has been harshly critical of the media during his campaign and for a time banned news organisations from his events because he didn’t like their coverage.
As Protests Rage On, President-elect Trump Meets Speaker
On Trump's schedule were meetings with House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky to discuss the GOP legislative agenda. Ryan, who holds the most powerful post in Congress, a sometime critic of Trump, was slow to endorse him and did not campaign with the nominee. Pence intends to join both meetings.
The anticipated show of civility at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue contrasted with post-election scenes of protests across a politically divided country. Demonstrators from New England to the heartland and the West Coast vented against the election winner on Wednesday, chanting “Not my president,” burning a papier-mache Trump head, beating a Trump pinata and carrying signs that said “Impeach Trump.”
(With inputs from AP)
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