WASHINGTON – Barack Obama and Donald Trump put acerbic rows and profound differences aside in a 90-minute transition meeting at the White House yesterday, hoping to quell fears about the health of the world's pre-eminent democracy.
The outgoing president and his successor met one-on-one and sat in high-backed chairs before the Oval Office fireplace for what Obama characterised as an "excellent conversation."
The meeting, which came less than 36 hours after Trump's shock election victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton, had the potential to be awkward. The two had traded barbs during the heated battle for the White House.
Trump, who previously called Obama the "most ignorant President in our history," said it was a "great honour" meeting with the US leader, adding that he looked forward to receiving the President's counsel.
Obama, who previously said Trump was a whiner and "uniquely unqualified" to be commander-in-chief, vowed his support. He told Trump his administration would "do everything we can to help you succeed because if you succeed, then the country succeeds."
The two men ended the improbable and historic White House encounter with a handshake and refused to take questions
"Here's a good rule. Don't answer questions when they just start yelling," Obama told Trump, referring to the press.
White House officials said the two men had discussed a range of issues, including Obama's meetings with leaders from Germany, Greece and across the Asia-Pacific during foreign travel next week.
On that trip, Obama is likely to be inundated with panicked questions about America's role in world affairs.
Anger over the Republican property mogul's upset election win over Clinton spilled out onto the streets of US cities late Wednesday, as chanting protesters lit bonfires and snarled traffic.
But in the days after Trump's shock election win, which virtually no poll had predicted, both sides spoke of healing the deep divisions sown in a bruising two-year campaign.
The Republican Party leadership, too, embraced their new-found champion yesterday.
House Speaker Paul Ryan, who had distanced himself from Trump in the final month of the campaign, pledged to "hit the ground running" and work with him on conservative legislation.
The two, along with Vice-President-elect Mike Pence, met on Capitol Hill for lunch after Trump's talks with Obama.
On Wednesday, Trump huddled at Trump Tower in New York with a group of advisers, planning a transition strategy to take over stewardship of the world's largest economy.
Team Trump unveiled a transition website – www.greatagain.gov – that highlights the colossal human resources challenge facing the incoming administration under the headline "Help wanted: 4,000 presidential appointees."
During a bitter campaign that tugged at America's democratic fabric, the tycoon pledged to deport illegal immigrants, ban Muslims from the country and tear up free-trade deals.
Those campaign messages were embraced by a large section of America, grown increasingly disgruntled by the scope of social and economic change under Obama.
But they were passionately rejected by Clinton supporters.
Thousands of protesters – in New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Portland and other cities and school campuses – rallied Wednesday to express continued opposition to the incoming leader they accuse of racism, sexism and xenophobia. In Los Angeles, a giant Trump head was burned in effigy. (AFP)