Donald Trump will meet President Obama at the White House on Thursday


On Thursday, President Obama will host Donald Trump at the White House, beginning the transfer of power that will culminate when Trump is sworn in as president on Jan. 20. Trump told an Orlando radio station on Wednesday that he and Obama are "going to have a meeting" and "it's going to be, I think, very good." It could also be awkward, since Obama called Trump temperamentally unfit to be president while campaigning for Trump's rival Hillary Clinton, and Trump led the "birther" movement suggesting Obama was not a legitimate president and has pledged to undo Obama's main legislative achievements. On Wednesday, White House press secretary Josh Earnest said "there is a tradition, particularly with regard to executive agreements, of successive presidents preserving some element of continuity," but added: "I don't know whether or not that will fly in this case."
First Lady Michelle Obama will also privately show Melania Trump around the White House. On Wednesday, as Donald Trump and his advisers huddled to work on the transition, aides said Trump will not bring the press corps to Washington for the Obama meeting, breaking longstanding protocol. Trump also did not travel with the press during the campaign, breaking another tradition.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
'We need solutions that prioritize both safety and sustainability'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Book reviews: 'Moral Ambition: Stop Wasting Your Talent and Start Making a Difference' and 'Is a River Alive?'
Feature A rallying cry for 'moral ambition' and the interwoven relationship between humans and rivers
-
'King of the Hill' actor shot dead outside home
speed read Jonathan Joss was fatally shot by a neighbor who was 'yelling violent homophobic slurs,' says his husband
-
Depleted FEMA struggling as hurricane season begins
speed read FEMA has lost a third of its workforce amid DOGE cuts enforced by President Donald Trump
-
White House tackles fake citations in MAHA report
speed read A federal government public health report spearheaded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was rife with false citations
-
Judge blocks push to bar Harvard foreign students
speed read Judge Allison Burroughs sided with Harvard against the Trump administration's attempt to block the admittance of international students
-
Trump's trade war whipsawed by court rulings
Speed Read A series of court rulings over Trump's tariffs renders the future of US trade policy uncertain
-
Elon Musk departs Trump administration
speed read The former DOGE head says he is ending his government work to spend more time on his companies
-
Trump taps ex-personal lawyer for appeals court
speed read The president has nominated Emil Bove, his former criminal defense lawyer, to be a federal judge
-
US trade court nullifies Trump's biggest tariffs
speed read The US Court of International Trade says Trump exceeded his authority in imposing global tariffs
-
Trump pauses all new foreign student visas
speed read The State Department has stopped scheduling interviews with those seeking student visas in preparation for scrutiny of applicants' social media