President-elect Donald Trump says the smooth transition with President Obama is over after Obama said he thinks he could have won had he been able to run for another term. On Wednesday, the president-elect tweeted that he had thought the transition was going smoothly — he previously praised the current president and said the two had good chemistry — but after Obama’s comments this week, the good vibes were gone.
Doing my best to disregard the many inflammatory President O statements and roadblocks.Thought it was going to be a smooth transition - NOT!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 28, 2016
“If I had run again and articulated it, I think I could've mobilized a majority of the American people to rally behind it,” Obama told former adviser David Axelrod in the Axe Files podcast produced by the Chicago Institute of Politics, published Monday. “I know that in conversations that I've had with people around the country, even some people who disagreed with me, they would say the vision, the direction that you point towards is the right one.”
Trump has brought up the comments every day this week.
President Obama campaigned hard (and personally) in the very important swing states, and lost.The voters wanted to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 27, 2016
President Obama said that he thinks he would have won against me. He should say that but I say NO WAY! - jobs leaving, ISIS, OCare, etc.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 26, 2016
Trump also hit the president over his administration's refusal to stop a United Nations Security Council resolution condemning Israel's settlements in the West Bank. Instead the U.S. abstained during the U.N. vote, which allowed it to pass. Trump has been critical of the decision and promised a better relationship with Israel when he is in office.
We cannot continue to let Israel be treated with such total disdain and disrespect. They used to have a great friend in the U.S., but.......
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 28, 2016
not anymore. The beginning of the end was the horrible Iran deal, and now this (U.N.)! Stay strong Israel, January 20th is fast approaching!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 28, 2016
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — who has accused the Obama administration of initiating the resolution, which the administration has denied — praised Trump on Wednesday.
President-elect Trump, thank you for your warm friendship and your clear-cut support for Israel! 🇮🇱🇺🇸@IvankaTrump @DonaldJTrumpJr https://t.co/lURPimG0wS
— Benjamin Netanyahu (@netanyahu) December 28, 2016
It is not clear why Netanyahu tagged two of Trump's children.
Despite Trump's portrayal of a difficult transition, incoming press secretary Sean Spicer told reporters Wednesday that he expected Trump and Obama to continue to speak regularly. He added that Obama and his team have been "very generous with their time” for the "mechanisms" of the transition.
