President Obama and his Republican successor have spoken “at least once” since they met face-to-face for the first time earlier this month, the White House confirmed on Tuesday.
“I can tell you that the president has had a conversation with the president-elect since the Oval Office meeting,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest told reporters.
Earnest declined to provide details about Obama’s conversation with President-elect Trump or when it took place, noting that there is a “president-to-president prerogative” he is “trying to protect.”
“In the same way that I protected the ability of President Obama to consult confidentially with other senior officials, including some former presidents, I’m not going to read out or confirm every reported meeting or phone call or conversation,” he said.
Trump had reportedly told a group of 30-40 media executives and top anchors in a meeting on Monday that he and Obama had spoken on more than one occasion since their initial meeting at the White House on Nov. 10.
Following that meeting, Trump said he would seek “counsel” from Obama during the transition process and his own administration. He called the president “a very good man.”
“Those of you who covered the president-elect’s visit to the Oval Office a couple of weeks ago, you took note of the fact that the president-elect indicated his desire to continue to consult with President Obama over the course of the transition,” Earnest recalled. “You’ve also heard President Obama indicate the high priority he has placed on facilitating a smooth and effective transition.
“So reports that he two may have talked after their White House meeting, I think are not particularly surprising,” he said.
