WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 (UPI) — President-elect Donald Trump is scheduled to visit the White House today for a closed-door meeting with President Barack Obama.
The two men, political rivals during the campaign, will be face-to-face, though it was unclear what part of the meeting — if any — would be open to the press. Trump did not permit his traveling press pool to fly with him from New York to Washington for the meeting and after landing at Reagan International Airport in Washington, D.C., Trump’s motorcade proceeded directly to the White House, where he entered from the South Lawn, meaning the press was not in view.
Obama’s press office said the end of the meeting would be open to reporters and photographers, though it was not clear if it would be a photo-op or if the two men would speak.
The news agencies that regularly travel with the president and the president-elect take turns serving as the “pool” reporters and photographers and are typically granted access to travel inside the security detail for photo-ops and brief media availabilities on the condition they make their reporting and images available to all media.
Though the campaign was a bitter one, with Trump defeating Hillary Clinton while torching Obama’s job performance for eight years, both have since spoken only of unity and a smooth transition.
Trump has 70 days to form a government prior to his inauguration.
And while Obama and Trump met, so too did Obama’s chief of staff, Denis McDonough and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, sparking rumors he is in line to serve as Trump’s top unelected adviser, Politico reported.
Other reports have indicated Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus is in line for the chief of staff job.
Kushner, who is married to Trump’s daughter Ivanka, played a key behind-the-scenes role in the Trump campaign, serving as a shadow campaign manager and advising Trump on virtually every element of the race.
Kushner is also a New York City real estate developer.
Melania Trump and first lady Michelle Obama are expected to meet, as are Vice President Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Mike Pence.
