From expelling diplomats to defying Israel, Barack Obama has made significant policy decisions before the end of his term. But the moves have raised questions about his administration before his successor takes over.
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Weeks before the end of his second term, US President Barack Obama has made significant policy decisions, including expelling Russian diplomats and allowing a UN resolution criticizing Israeli settlement activities to pass.
Obama's decisions have raised questions as to whether they are aimed at solidifying his legacy in his final days in office or whether they represent an attempt to block President-elect Donald Trump from reversing his policy decisions.
Irwin Collier, director of the John F. Kennedy Institute at the Free University of Berlin, told DW that the Obama administration had effectively operated on the basis that his successor would have been former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and that she would have carried on with policies formulated under his tenure.
"President Obama and his administration doubtless labored up through the presidential election under the presumption - with the benefit of hindsight one might say 'illusion' - that Hillary Clinton would become the 45th president of the United States," Collier told DW.
However, the divisive November election witnessed Trump, a self-proclaimed billionaire and real estate mogul, outperform his rival in key battleground states, making him the next US president.
"Now, instead of handing off sets of policy initiatives that would span the administrations, what we are witnessing are ad hoc attempts to salvage work begun and/or completed during Obama's two terms," he added.
Hacking the 2016 US election: a timeline
The US expelled 35 Russian diplomats over a bitter row between the two countries. The Kremlin denied US intelligence reports that it supported hackers who tried to sway the outcome of the 2016 presidential election.
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Democrats in the dark
Over the summer, a security company hired by the Democratic National Convention tells the DNC that they have been successfully infiltrated by hackers for more than year. Two groups, known as Cozy Bear and Fancy Bear, both have links to the Russian government, the Washington Post reports.
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All eyes on Russia
At the end of July, the FBI launches an investigation into whether or not the Russian government ordered the DNC hack. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov calls the move "paranoid."
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'Russia, if you're listening'
On the campaign trail, Republican nominee Donald Trump encourages Russia to "find the 30,000 emails that are missing." In a series of debates with rival Hillary Clinton, Trump casts doubt on Moscow's role in hacks that targeted the DNC and Clinton's campaign manager, John Podesta.
Image: Reuters/J. Ernst
WikiLeaks targets Clinton
Anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks begins releasing slightly compromising emails from Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta. Co-founder Julian Assange defends targeting Clinton, saying Trump's own statements are indictment enough of the Republican nominee. Over a period of months, WikiLeaks consistently denies allegations that its sources are based in Russia.
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CIA, FBI investigations
In a rare moment of complete agreement for the two biggest intelligence agencies in the US, both the FBI and CIA come to the conclusion that the Russian government sought to influence the US election by promoting unfavorable coverage of Hillary Clinton.
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Donald and Vladimir
Trump, who has made no secret of his admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin, calls the intelligence reports "ridiculous." Anti-Clinton voices slam the probe as a distraction meant to discredit the now president-elect. This puts Trump at odds with Republicans in Congress who call for an independent investigation.
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Obama expels diplomats
At the end of December, the Obama administration expels 35 Russian diplomats and shuts down two Russian intelligence compounds as the Kremlin continues to deny having a role in the summer's cyberattacks. President Putin eschews direct retaliation, saying he will wait to see how President-elect Trump's Russia policies play out.
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'Not that big of a deal'
The outgoing president announced on Thursday the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats, and the closure of two compounds used by Russian intelligence operatives, in response to alleged interference in the US presidential elections.
But Steven Fish, politics professor at the University of California, Berkeley told DW that although this appears to be a momentous decision by the administration, "it's the kind of thing you would expect in this kind of situation."
"The sanctions aren't really that serious in terms of the effect they are going to have on Russia," said Steven Fish. "These are people who the United States have known for some time are spies. Applying sanctions to intelligence agencies in Russia that were involved in this kind of spying - it's not that big of a deal. It's rather symbolic."
"What Obama is trying to do now is basically to protect the United States from Trump, not protect the United States from Putin," he added.
Collier noted that it also served Trump's interest by placing him in a better negotiating position when he takes office on January 20.
"With regard to the sanctions for the 'cybergate' break-ins of Russia and the 'electionized' use of the illegally obtained information by a foreign power, President Obama is actually doing President-elect Trump a favor, namely it allows Trump to play 'good cop' to Obama's 'bad cop,'" Collier said.
Another policy decision that raised questions concerning Obama's final days in office was the US' abstention on the UN Security Council resolution that strongly criticizes Israeli settlement activity.
While the US views Israel as a key ally in the Middle East, offering more than $3 billion (2.84 billion euros) in military aid in 2015, the Obama administration has faced challenges attempting to revive peace talks, which it says will continue to be blocked by settlement activity.
However, the abstention at the UN Security Council vote last week marked a shift from Washington's traditional veto of resolutions targeting Israel.
"One can say that the US was put in a position to say something now, rather than hold its tongue for however long the Trump presidency will control US foreign policy," Collier said.
In a marked policy shift, Trump has vowed to relocate the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which would undermine any two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. East Jerusalem is cited as the future capital of a Palestinian state, according to UN resolutions.
Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers have vowed to reverse any "midnight" decision taken during Obama's administration in the wake of the presidential election, a moment often labeled the "lame duck" period.
Trump: Mogul, populist, president
Already a real estate magnate, best-selling author and reality TV star, Donald Trump is about to become the 45th US president. Often regarded as an outlandish, comic figure, Trump will soon move into the White House.
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The family, the empire
Surrounded by the ones he loves, Donald Trump with his wife, Melania, daughters Ivanka and Tiffany, his sons Eric and Donald, Jr., and grandchildren Kai and Donald John III. His three eldest children are senior vice presidents in the Trump organization.
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From millionaire to billionaire
This picture from 1984 shows Trump opening Harrah's at Trump Plaza, a casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. It's one of the investments that helped turn Trump, already a millionaire thanks to cash from his father, into a billionaire.
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Off to a good start
Trump inherited the money he used to launch his real estate empire from his father, Frederick. He gave his son a million dollars to start and then, upon his death, left Donald and his three siblings $400 million.
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What's in a name? Billions.
Donald Trump aggressively invested the money and experienced the market's highs and lows. Long-term success came thanks to Trump Tower in New York City. Trump has said he's worth some $10 billion, but he has not released financial information to prove the claim. Experts estimate he's worth about a third of that.
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"Very good, very smart"
That's what Trump had to say about himself. He studied at the renowned Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and graduated with a bachelor's degree.
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Captain Trump
Before college, Trump was sent to a military academy at the age of 13 to learn discipline. By the time he graduated, he had earned an officer's rank at the academy. During his campaign for president, he said he enjoyed the school's structure and military culture.
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Heel spurs instead of Vietnam
Despite the military education, Trump did not serve in the Vietnam War. He received four deferments while studying and a fifth for bone spurs in his heels. Trump will be the first US president to enter the White House without having previously served in a public office or the military.
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Wife number one: Ivana
In 1977, Trump married Ivana Zelnuickova of what was then Czechoslovakia. The pair had three children together, Donald John, Jr., Ivanka Marie and Eric Fredrick. The marriage, however, was plagued with rumors of extra-marital affairs and ended in 1990. Ivana was the one who created Trump's nickname "The Donald."
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Family number two
Trump later married his second wife, Marla Maples. Maples gave birth to their daughter Tiffany in 1993.
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Girls, girls, girls
Trump seemed to enjoy being photographed with women other than his wife by his side. He often visited beauty pageants and posed with young models. From 1996 to 2015, he owned part of all the Miss Universe pageants. Trump would later come under fire for an audio recording of him saying his fame allowed him to grope women without fearing consequences.
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The Art of the Deal
How do you make a quick million? Trump's best-seller "The Art of the Deal," which was part autobiography, part instruction manual for ambitious businessmen, tried to show readers the way. Already well-known, the book solidified Trump's spot in the public spotlight.
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Mixing business and entertainment
Like no other, Trump knew how to grab the public's attention, as seen here in a show for "World Wrestling Entertainment." His unique blend of business and entertainment acumen met in the reality TV show "The Apprentice" where candidates were hired and fired. Trump's favorite line from the show: "You're fired!"
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Trump's move into politics
Though he had previously had very little contact with governing or politics, Trump announced his presidential candidacy on July 16, 2015. He used "Make America Great Again" as a political slogan and during his election campaign insulted immigrants, Muslims, women and everyone running against him.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/J. Lane
Off to Washington
Whether the showman morphs into a statesman will be seen over Trump's four years in the White House. Views are split as he prepares to take office. But if his life so far is anything to go by, there is no telling what will be next.
