A simmering dispute between President Barack Obama and his incoming successor Donald Trump looked destined to boil over. However, a call from the President appears to have at least momentarily eased tensions for now.
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Tensions between US President-elect Donald Trump and President Barack Obama have been growing as the president has become more outspoken about a vitriol-filled election. Comments from Trump on Wednesday brought those differences of opinion to light.
Trump accused Obama of attempting to derail the US transition of power with "inflammatory" remarks that spurred the president to pick up the phone and resolve it before risking it becoming a very public spat.
Trump tweeted Wednesday: "Doing my best to disregard the many inflammatory President O statements and roadblocks. Thought it was going to be a smooth transition - NOT!"
The president-elect appeared to be irked by Obama's recent remarks that he would have defeated the Republican candidate in this year's election, were he not constitutionally barred from running for a third term.
Trump also vociferously took issue with the US' decision last week to allow a UN Security Council resolution condemning Israel's settlement program to pass.
We cannot continue to let Israel be treated with such total disdain and disrespect," Trump tweeted. "They used to have a great friend in the U.S., but ... 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!"
Earlier, the outgoing Secretary of State John Kerry had criticized Israel for its settlement-building and accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's regime of jeopardizing a two-state solution with Palestine.
Obama's statements that the US would take steps to counter Russian hacking are also at odds with hints Trump has made on his potential future ties with Moscow. Contrary to the assessment of the US intelligence agencies, Trump had said he did not believe Russia was behind the hacking of the US Democratic Party.
Tensions cool
However, Trump later distanced himself from his statements, saying the transition process was going "very, very smoothly" and that he and Obama had what he described as "a very nice conversation... appreciated that he called."
Speaking outside of his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, Trump said: "I actually thought we covered a lot of territory. Our staffs have been getting along very well and I'm getting along very well with him other than a couple of statements that I responded to."
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When asked about Obama's comments, the real estate mogul-turned-commander-in-chief-in-waiting said they both laughed about it and that "nobody is ever going to know because we are never going to be going against each other."
White House spokesman Eric Schultz described the call as "positive and focused on continuing a smooth and effective transition," adding that the two men planned to remain in touch over the coming weeks.
After exchanging multiple insults during this year's heated presidential campaign, Obama and Trump have sought to put political differences aside in favor of a united public front before Trump takes office on January 20.
In a landmark meeting in the Oval Office a few days after Trump's election victory over Democrat Hilary Clinton, Obama congratulated Trump on a historic electoral win and expressed that millions of Republican voters would suffer should the incoming president overturn Obama's health care law.
Obama and Trump pledged to oversee a smooth transition as the president-elect prepares to move into the White HouseImage: Reuters/K. Lamarque
Who's to thank for the economy
Both men have also taken credit for improving US economic indicators. While Trump has long berated the US economy under Obama, he sought kudos late on Tuesday for a number of economic developments, though economists have said the improvements are part of a continuing trend that started before Trump won the election. More than 2 million jobs have been added to the US job market in the last 12 months alone, a sign of positive economic growth pre-dating Trump's election triumph.
"The U.S. Consumer Confidence Index for December surged nearly four points to 113.7, THE HIGHEST LEVEL IN MORE THAN 15 YEARS! Thanks Donald," Trump tweeted.
Trump also heralded news that US mobile carrier Sprint was moving 5,000 jobs "back" to the US "because of me."
It remains unclear whether Trump was referencing a commitment Sprint owner and Japanese tech billionaire Masayoshi Son reportedly made with the president-elect earlier this month to create 50,000 jobs in the US.
Sprint's Chief Executive, Marcelo Claure, has said he and the company look forward to working with Trump.
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.
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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.
