President Barack Obama and President-elect Donald Trump met at the White House on Thursday to discuss the transition between administrations. The meeting was reportedly cordial and went for a longer-than-expected 90 minutes.
“I want to emphasize to you, Mr. President-elect, that we now are going to do everything we can to help you succeed because if you succeed then the country succeeds,” Obama said.
Trump told reporters it was the first time the two had met. Obama, for his part, dished some advice about dealing with the press.
“This a good rule: Don’t answer any questions when they start yelling at you,” Obama quipped.
Obama called the meeting “wide-ranging,” and said they talked about foreign policy, domestic policy, and staffing issues. Trump added that he plans to seek counsel from Obama in the future.
But according to White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest, Obama maintains that Trump is unqualified to be president: “The president’s views haven’t changed,” Earnest said when asked about the president’s stance on Trump.
Despite Obama’s relaxed and professorial public face, his staff appears less than enthused. In a viral photo taken on Wednesday, the White House employees appear mournful about the incoming president.
We are all the White House staff watching Obama welcome Trump as next president. pic.twitter.com/cxB54V9x1S
— Emma Kennedy (@EmmaKEdDev) November 10, 2016
Obama offers a gracious welcome to Trump…but his staff looks distressed https://t.co/8WVm7kGYda pic.twitter.com/dO2LB1oqhC
— Daily Mail US (@DailyMail) November 10, 2016