A day after his surprise victory in the US presidential elections, Republican’s Donald Trump on Thursday visited Washington to meet outgoing President Barack Obama.
The 90-minute meaning between the two took place in the Oval Office where, according to White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest, they didn’t debate politics or policy instead they discussed about the problems the US has been facing.
“The meeting was focused on the transition and it went well,” Earnest said, adding that the two ‘didn’t recreate some sort of presidential debate in the Oval Office today’.
The Oval Office meeting was the first time the two men had ever met face-to-face and after both agreed the gathering went well in their brief remarks to reporters.
Trump said that it was a ‘great honour’ to meet President Barack Obama for transition talks at the White House.
“So Mr. President, it was a great honour being with you, and I look forward to being with you many, many more times in the future,” Trump said.
“We discussed a lot of different situations, some wonderful and some difficulties. I very much look forward to dealing with the president in the future, including counsel,” Trump added.
Obama praises ‘excellent meeting’ with Trump
Obama too said that he was ‘encouraged’ by their ‘excellent’ and ‘wide-ranging’ conversation, lasting over an hour.
“We talked about foreign policy, we talked about domestic policy, and as I said last night, my No. 1 priority in the coming two months is to try to facilitate a transition that ensures our president elect is successful,” Obama said.
“I have been very encouraged by the interest in president-elect Trump's wanting to work with my team around many of the issues that this great country faces and I believe that it is important for all of us regardless of party and regardless of political preferences to now come together, to work together to deal with the many challenges that we face,” Obama added.
“I want to emphasize to you, Mr. President-elect, that we now are going to want to do everything we can to help you succeed because if you succeed, then the country succeeds,” Obama further said.
The President-elect was accompanied by his wife, Melania, who had a meeting with First Lady Michelle Obama.
Trump later met with House Speaker Paul Ryan at the Capitol and said they also would work together ‘to lower taxes’ and to ‘fix health care and make it affordable and better’.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell joined Trump and his entourage on a walking tour through part of the Capitol building.
Vice President-elect Mike Pence, who was accompanying him, is slated to meet outgoing Vice President Joe Biden.
Trump and Obama had frequently attacked each other for years, but in the aftermath of the election results where Trump beat Democrat nominee Hillary Clinton, Obama acknowledged Trump's victory, and stressed on ensuring a peaceful transition of power.
Both the parties also characterized the meeting as ‘excellent’ after it ended.
