Trump descends on White House for most awkward icebreaker ever

The process of presidential transition has begun
 By 
Marcus Gilmer
 on 
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Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

It's a moment many believed would never happen: President Obama and Donald Trump in the same room. Speaking. Shaking hands. Calling each other excellent.

A grim but determined President Obama met the president-elect Donald Trump for the first time in the White House on Thursday and it was horribly uncomfortable. The heart-breaking expression on Obama's face said it all.

The meeting was particularly on edge due to the vitriol Trump has hurled at Obama in the past. This has included attempts to undermine the Obama presidency, constantly insulting the president and frequently questioning his place of birth.


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Through gritted teeth, President Obama praised the meeting with Trump. "I just had the opportunity to have an excellent conversation with president-elect Trump... We talked about some of the organizational issues in setting up the White House."

Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

President Obama also stressed the importance of the power change, saying, "As I said last night, my number one priority in the coming two months is to try to facilitate a transition that ensured our president elect is successful."

In good news, Trump didn't scream "WRONG" into a microphone, instead he appeared subdued when making his statement. It was not the Trump the public had become accustomed to during the volatile presidential campaign.

Trump, who admitted to never having actually met President Obama despite his past attacks, said, "I very much look forward to dealing with the president in the future, including counsel... Mr. President, it was a great honor being with you, and I look forward to being with you many more times in the future."

At the same, First Lady Michelle Obama met with First Lady-elect Melania Trump. If the meeting of Obama and Trump is any indication, it would have also been amazingly awkward. Let's just hope Michelle asked Melania about that time she ripped off her speech.

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Marcus Gilmer

Marcus Gilmer is Mashable's Assistant Real-Times News Editor on the West Coast, reporting on breaking news from his location in San Francisco. An Alabama native, Marcus earned his BA from Birmingham-Southern College and his MFA in Communications from the University of New Orleans. Marcus has previously worked for Chicagoist, The A.V. Club, the Chicago Sun-Times and the San Francisco Chronicle.

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