Home Tags Posts tagged with "donald trump presidency"

donald trump presidency

Donald Trump has said it was a “great honor” to meet President Barack Obama for transition talks at the White House.

President Obama said he was “encouraged” by their “excellent” and “wide-ranging” conversation, lasting over an hour.

During the election campaign, Donald Trump vowed to dismantle Barack Obama’s legacy and he has previously questioned his US citizenship.

Barack Obama, meanwhile, had called Donald Trump “uniquely unqualified”.

However, following Donald Trump’s shock defeat of Hillary Clinton in November 8 election, President Obama appealed for national unity and said he was “rooting” for him.

After today’s behind-closed-doors meeting in the White House, President Obama said: “My number one priority in the coming two months is to try to facilitate a transition that ensures our president-elect is successful.”

He said they had discussed domestic and foreign policy and he had been “very encouraged” by the president-elect’s interest in working with President Obama’s team on issues facing the US.

Image source AP

Image source AP

President-elect Donald Trump said he would “very much look forward” to dealing with President Barack Obama in future.

“I have great respect, the meeting lasted for almost an hour and a half, and it could’ve, as far as I’m concerned, it could’ve gone on for a lot longer,” Donald Trump said.

“We discussed a lot of different situations – some wonderful and some difficulties.”

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the two men did not resolve their differences but “the meeting might have been at least a little less awkward than some might have expected”.

“President Obama came away from the meeting with renewed confidence in the commitment of the president-elect to engage in an effective, smooth transition,” he said.

Donald Trump flew from New York on his private jet and landed at Reagan National Airport, just outside the nation’s capital.

He was accompanied by his wife, Melania, who had a meeting with First Lady Michelle Obama. President-elect Donald Trump, along with Vice-President-elect Mike Pence, then met Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan, saying they “can’t get started fast enough, whether it’s healthcare or immigration”.

Paul Ryan described it as a “fantastic, productive meeting”.

President Obama congratulated Donald Trump in a phone call in the early hours of November 9.

The defeated Hillary Clinton also told supporters Donald Trump had to be given a “chance to lead”.

According to the British research organization Economist Intelligence Unit, Donald Trump winning the US presidency is considered one of the top 10 risks facing the world.

The EIU warns Donald Trump could disrupt the global economy and heighten political and security risks in the US.

However, it does not expect Donald Trump to defeat Hillary Clinton who it sees as “his most likely Democratic contender”.

Donald Trump is rated as riskier than Britain leaving the European Union or an armed clash in the South China Sea.

China encountering a “hard landing” or sharp economic slowdown and Russia’s interventions in Ukraine and Syria preceding a new “cold war” are among the events seen as more dangerous.

Photo Getty Images

Photo Getty Images

“Thus far Mr. Trump has given very few details of his policies – and these tend to be prone to constant revision,” the EIU said in its global risk assessment, which looks at impact and probability.

The EIU ranking uses a scale of one to 25, with Donald Trump garnering a rating of 12, the same level of risk as “the rising threat of jihadi terrorism destabilizing the global economy”.

“He has been exceptionally hostile towards free trade, including notably Nafta, and has repeatedly labeled China as a <<currency manipulator>>,” the EIU said.

It warned his strong language directed towards Mexico and China in particular “could escalate rapidly into a trade war”.

Donald Trump has called for a “big big wall” to be built on the US-Mexican border, paid for by Mexico, to keep its illegal immigrants and drug dealers out of the United States.

On the campaign trail, Donald Trump has advocated killing the families of terrorists and invading Syria to eradicate ISIS and appropriate its oil.

“His militaristic tendencies towards the Middle East and ban on all Muslim travel to the US would be a potent recruitment tool for jihadi groups, increasing their threat both within the region and beyond,” the EIU added.

Critics of Donald Trump have raised similar concerns.

However, Donald Trump is moving closer to clinching the Republican presidential nominee ticket after winning most of the popular vote.

Donald Trump, who has no prior political experience, has said his supporters would “riot” if he was denied the nomination.

In the event Donald Trump does win the nomination and presidency, the EIU forecasts that domestic and foreign policymaking will be undermined.