White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest on Monday confirmed that President Obama and Donald Trump have spoken a “handful” of times since the election, including over the phone on Saturday.
“When the President-elect was in the oval office with President Obama, 36 hours after the election results were tabulated, the President-elect indicated the desire seek president Obama’s advice and counsel repeatedly. And President Obama made clear he was ready to offer that advice because of his underlying enduring commitment to a smooth and effective transition from the Obama presidency into the next,” Earnest told reporters at the daily White House press briefing.
Earnest said that Obama and Trump spoke for about 45 minutes on Saturday, but he would not address what the two spoke about. He said that he believes Trump reached out to Obama, who then returned his call.
Earnest said that Obama has spoken to Trump “a handful of times” since the election, but he would not specify how many calls have taken place since the initial meeting in the Oval Office after the election.
