Awkward handshake as Trump and Obama meet face to face for the first time
President Barack Obama has come face to face with President-elect Donald Trump at the White House for the first time, and although it was all smiles for the cameras, there is no denying the two are polar opposites.
Despite the conversation being described as "excellent" and "wide-ranging", Obama and Trump couldn’t be more different.
The infamous campaign trail wasn’t without its dramas with vicious attacks from both sides non-stop.
Trump spent much of his insurgent campaign pledging to reverse and tear down Obama's legacy.
He called for replacing the president's health care law, voiding the Iran nuclear deal and scrapping new business and environmental regulations.
Trump also criticised Obama for campaigning so much on behalf of Hillary Clinton, saying he should "do the job he's supposed to be doing."
In his campaign speeches, Obama cast Trump as an "erratic political novice" who shouldn't be allowed near the nuclear codes.
"It's really bad being arrogant when you don't know what you're talking about," President Obama said.
The Obama-Trump rivalry, intrinsic to the 2016 election, goes back a long, long time.
During Obama's first term, Trump made a name for himself by becoming the de facto leader of the so-called "birther" movement, pushing the false idea that the president was not born in the United States.
In this past campaign year, Clinton described the birther movement as a racist attack on the nation's first African-American president.
In 2011, Obama responded by producing a long-form birth certificate and mocking Trump at a high-profile press dinner.
However at the White House on Thursday, the rivalry seemed to have vanished and the vicious attacks halted as the cameras rolled.
Obama met with Trump in the Oval Office for more than an hour to discuss the "successful" transition of power.
Obama said he was encouraged by Trump's wanting to work with his team on issues facing the country.
He said it's important for all "to now come together".
"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", President Obama said.
Trump said he "very much looks forward" to dealing with Obama in the future.
Obama said speaking directly to Trump: "we are now going to want to do everything to help you succeed because if you succeed the country succeeds".
He said it was a meeting that was supposed to last maybe "10 or 15 minutes", but instead it went on for 90 minutes and could have "gone on for a lot longer".
"I very much look forward to dealing with the President in the future, including counsel," Trump said.
Trump said "I have great respect" for Obama and even called the meeting a "great honour".
President Obama said that while everyone was sad when an election did not go their way, it was important to remember that "we're actually all on one team".
"We’re not Democrats first. We're not Republicans first. We are Americans first," he said.
"I hope that he maintains that spirit throughout this transition, and I certainly hope that’s how his presidency has a chance to begin," he added.
Top news stories - November 11
