President Barack Obama said on Friday that he has advised President-elect Donald Trump to have his team briefed before significant interactions with foreign governments.
Speaking at his last press conference of 2016, Obama said that he has advised Trump to take a “systematic, deliberate and intentional” approach to foreign policy.
Obama said he suggested to Trump that he should have his team fully in place before taking part in any such discussions.
“He should want his team to be fully briefed on what’s gone on in the past and where the potential pitfalls may be, where the opportunities are, what we’ve learned from eight years of experience, so that as he’s then maybe taking foreign policy in a new direction, he’s got all the information to make good decisions,” Obama said. “And, by the way, that all of government is moving at the same time and singing from the same hymnal.”
Asked on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” who he talks with consistently about foreign policy, Trump responded, “I’m speaking with myself, number one, because I have a very good brain and I’ve said a lot of things."
“I know what I’m doing and I listen to a lot of people, I talk to a lot of people and at the appropriate time I’ll tell you who the people are,” Trump said. “But my primary consultant is myself and I have a good instinct for this stuff."
What the president said:
What Drumpf heard:
Things you never thought you’d need to explicitly clarify, Mr. President…
Should we start a list?
Need to hire 4000 employees
Need to talk to State Dept. before starting WWIII
C’mon photoshoppers…you know what to do with their heads…