Trump praises relationship with Obama, who stays silent

Dec 08, 2016

But Obama, and his team, have remained stubbornly mute on the subject.

Since his meeting with President Barack Obama in the Oval Office, Donald Trump several times has raved about good "chemistry" with the person he will succeed on January 20.

But Obama, and his team, have remained stubbornly mute on the subject.

"I had a great meeting with him at the White House and a couple of great (phone) conversations," the Republican president-elect said in an interview with Time magazine, which named him Wednesday "Person of the Year."

"I will tell you, I really liked him, I think he liked me. I think he was surprised also," said the 70-year-old real-estate tycoon, who on the campaign trail was harshly critical of the Democratic president.

"There was good chemistry. But that being said, we differ on things," he added.

Bombarded with questions at the daily White House news briefing about Trump's assessment of the relationship between the two men, Obama's spokesman remained circumspect.

"The president is pleased that he can play a role in ensuring a smooth and effective transition and that's something that he has identified as -- as a very high priority, particularly for his last several weeks in office," spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters.

"So he's certainly pleased that he can offer advice and assistance that may be useful to the incoming administration," he said.

Obama and Trump have spoken several times on the telephone since their November 10 meeting at the White House, but Earnest refused to comment on the frequency and content of their discussions.

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