WASHINGTON _ Donald Trump burst onto the political scene by questioning whether President Barack Obama was born in the United States, but on Thursday the unlikely president-elect called him "a very good man" whose "counsel" he will seek once in office.
There were no signs of the bombastic candidate following a 90-minute private Oval Office meeting, with Trump saying he has "respect" for an outgoing president he harshly criticized on the campaign trail. It was the first time the current and future presidents had ever met, Trump said.
Oddly, Trump told reporters the two discussed "some of the really great things" Obama has accomplished as president. The president-elect noted they discussed some issues that feature "difficulties," but he did not mention specific policy issues.
Both men described the meeting as cordial, with the president-elect saying he has "great respect" for Obama and noting what was supposed to be a 15-minute meeting lasted an hour-and-a-half.
"As far as I'm concerned it could have lasted a lot longer," 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."
He even said he looked forward to seeking Obama's "counsel" at times, a striking change from his campaign-trail depiction of Obama and other Washington leaders as "stupid."
"Mr. President it was a great honor being with you and I look forward to being with you many more times in the future," Trump said, again in a much different tone than in his stump speech.
The length of the meeting fueled speculation that Obama had something of a pitch prepared for his successor. To that end, candidate Trump vowed to erase much of Obama's legacy almost immediately after taking office on Jan. 20.
The meeting presented a striking image less than 48 hours after Trump shocked the country _ and the world _ by handily defeating Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in the Electoral College.
Seated beside one another in the Oval Office were a president who overhauled health insurance, offered protections for some illegal immigrants, struck a nuclear deal with Iran, and struck a carbon emissions-reduction pact with other countries, and a president-elect who has vowed to undo most of it.
Obama spoke first, saying they talked about "organizational issues (about) setting up the White House," adding they also discussed foreign policy and domestic policy matters.
"As I said last night, my number one priority in the next coming two months is to try to facilitate a transition that ensures our president-elect is successful and 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," Obama said. "I believe that it is important for all, regardless of party and regardless of political preferences, to now come together, work together to deal with the many challenges we face."
Unlike when President-elect Obama met with his predecessor, George W. Bush, there was no media pool traveling with the incoming chief executive. What's more, media members were not present when Trump and his wife arrived and were greeted by the Obamas.
Instead, the Trump motorcade arrived on the south side of the White House, out of sight of journalists and their cameras.
In a light moment, as reporters were being escorted out of the Oval Office, Obama gave Trump some advice, telling him to never answer shouted questions.
Hours before the meeting, the White House sent out a lengthy fact sheet detailing efforts it launched months ago to ensure a smooth transition, no matter which candidate won. White House officials, led by Chief of Staff Denis McDonough, have been meeting with representatives of both campaigns to discuss the power hand-off process.
Obama earlier this year made the transition one of his top 2016 priorities, which stems from how impressed he was with how George W. Bush and his administration ran the hand-over to Obama.
The meeting came one day after Obama appeared in the Rose Garden to tell reporters he is "rooting" for the former reality television's star "success" in the Oval Office.
An orderly handoff of power from one president to another is a "hallmark" of the American system, Obama said Wednesday, adding, "we're going to show that to the world."
