President Obama pledges a peaceful transition to Trump
WASHINGTON DC (KTRK) -- President Obama today said he is ready to welcome president-elect Donald Trump to the White House Thursday to ensure a "successful transition between our presidencies."
"We are now all rooting for success in uniting and leading the country," Obama said in a statement in the Rose Garden Wednesday.
During the 3:30am phone call the president extended an invitation to the president-elect to meet with him at the White House on Thursday.
PRESIDENT OBAMA CONGRATULATES DONALD TRUMP
Press secretary Josh Earnest said in a statement that the president called both Trump and Hillary Clinton after the results of the election early Wednesday.
In his call with Clinton, Obama "expressed admiration for the strong campaign she waged throughout the country," Earnest said.
As recently as Monday, Obama slammed Trump as "temperamentally unfit" to serve as commander in chief and raised concerns over the potential of his handling the nation's nuclear codes.
The trip would be Trump's first inside the White House, and his first face-to-face meeting with Obama. According to the White House, their meeting will be centered around ensuring a peaceful transition of power.
