Obama, Trump Talk Policy Issues in First Meeting

Wall Street Journal – by Carol E Lee

WASHINGTON—President-elect Donald Trump and President Barack Obama met for the first time Thursday, with the incoming president saying he has “great respect” for Mr. Obama and plans to seek his counsel while in office, a dramatic shift from searing criticism of his predecessor during the 2016 campaign.

Messrs. Obama and Trump met at the White House for 90 minutes, more than an hour longer than planned, during which they discussed a range of domestic and foreign policy issues and organizational logistics about life in the White House.  

“As far as I’m concerned it could have gone on for a lot longer,” said Mr. Trump, who was seated next to Mr. Obama in the Oval Office. He called Mr. Obama “a very good man.”

“We discussed a lot of different situations, some wonderful and some difficulties,” Mr. Trump said, adding that included “really great things” that have been achieved. “I very much look forward to dealing with the president in the future, including counsel.”

“We talked about some of organizational issues in setting up the White House. We talked about foreign policy. We talked about domestic policy,” Mr. Obama said, adding that it was his priority “to facilitate a transition that ensures our president-elect is successful.”

The meeting between a president and his successor is a longtime tradition. But this meeting was different given the sitting president has said his successor is unqualified and temperamentally unfit to serve in the White House and mocked his experience as a reality TV star. Mr. Obama said so as recently as Monday in his final campaign event for Democrat Hillary Clinton. On Wednesday White House press secretary Josh Earnest said the president still believes Mr. Trump is unfit to succeed him but respects the outcome of the election.

For Mr. Trump, the meeting underscores that he is now relying on the administration of a man he has suggested wasn’t born in the U.S. and was therefore ineligible to serve as president. The president-elect was a leading proponent of the false accusation that Mr. Obama was born in a foreign country, prompting the president to release his full birth certificate in 2011.

Both men struck a conciliatory tone following the meeting.

“I have been very encouraged by the interest by president-elect Trump’s wanting to work with my team around many of the issues that this great country faces,” Mr. Obama said. “I believe that it is important for all regardless of party and regardless of political preferences to now come together.”

Mr. Obama said he stressed the need for unity in the country among Democrats and Republicans. “I want to do everything we can to help you succeed because if you succeed the country succeeds,” Mr. Obama said, addressing Mr. Trump.

“Mr. President, it was a great honor being with you, and I look forward to many, many more times in the future,” Mr. Trump said.

The meeting between the president and president-elect was intended to signal to Americans and the world that the bitter, personal attacks of the campaign have given way to a smooth transfer of power.

Messrs. Obama and Trump had never met before Thursday. Neither of them had any staff in the meeting, so they spent the 90 minutes alone.

“I feel confident in telling you they didn’t resolve all of their differences because I feel confident telling you they didn’t try to resolve all their differences,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest said. Instead, he said, they focused on building a foundation for a successful transition.

They discussed Mr. Obama’s upcoming trip overseas, Mr. Earnest said. The president went through what issues he expects to come up while meeting with foreign leaders in Greece, Germany and Peru.

Mr. Obama went into the meeting prepared to go through with Mr. Trump the policies he has implemented that he hopes his successor won’t undo, Mr. Earnest said. Mr. Trump is expected to attempt to unravel much of Mr. Obama’s legacy, with plans to reverse his policies on health care, climate change, immigration and government regulations, and to dramatically shift his foreign-policy approach.

Mr. Earnest said he met his counterpart at the Trump campaign, Hope Hicks. White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough also met with Mr. Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and the two took a walk along the South Lawn.

Mr. Trump and his wife, Melania, arrived at the White House around 11 a.m. While the president and president-elect met, Mrs. Trump and first lady Michelle Obama met on their own and toured the White House residence, where the Trump family will live.

Mr. Obama said the first lady had an “excellent” meeting with Mrs. Trump.

The Obamas didn’t do a photo-op featuring the current and future first couples outside the south entrance of the White House, as is customary. In his first visit to the White House after the 2008 election, Mr. Obama and first lady Michelle Obama posed for the cameras alongside President George W. Bush and first lady Laura Bush.

Neither Mr. Obama nor Mr. Trump answered questions from reporters about whether they discussed specific policies.

Vice President Joe Biden also will meet with his successor, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, at 2:45 p.m. on Thursday at the White House. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was scheduled to meet Messrs. Trump and Pence at the Capitol at 1:30 p.m.

Write to Carol E. Lee at carol.lee@wsj.com

http://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-obama-set-to-begin-transition-1478787730