Politics

President-Elect Trump Is Welcomed By The Nation’s Leaders

REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque.

Alex Pfeiffer White House Correspondent
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WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump paid a visit to the nation’s capitol Thursday and met with President Barack Obama, House Speaker Paul Ryan, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Trump’s first stop of the day was at The White House. A meeting with Obama which Trump said was initially initially supposed to last ten minutes, but instead went for an hour and a half. The president-elect said, “We were just going to get to know each other. We had never met each other. I have great respect.”

“As far as I’m concerned it could have lasted a lot longer. We discussed a lot of different situations, some wonderful and some difficulties. I very much look forward to dealing with the President in the future, including counsel,” Trump added.

Obama called the meeting “excellent.” The president also said, “I want to emphasize to you, Mr. President-elect, that we now are going to want to do everything we can to help you succeed because if you succeed, then the country succeeds.”

Trump, alongside Pence, then went to visit with Speaker Ryan at the Capitol Hill Club.

Ryan showed the Speaker’s balcony to Trump, where the president-elect will be inaugurated. Trump told reporters while walking with Senate Majority Leader McConnell and his wife Melania that he thought the balcony was “beautiful, very beautiful.”

Trump met with McConnell for about an hour and told reporters after that his priorities are border security, healthcare, and “big league jobs.” He did no answer a question about whether he will continue to support a ban on Muslims entering the United States. McConnell said it was a “first class” meeting.

Trump will take office with a Republican Senate and House. The last time the Republican Party was in charge of the executive branch and the legislative branch was 2006.