This archive report was first published on 28 June 2020.
On the surface, the transition from Obama to Trump seemed like a routine handover of power. However, behind the scenes, a different story was unfolding. According to two people familiar with the effort, one Trump aide had the idea of printing out Obama's campaign promises from the official White House website to create a 'hit list'.
For Trump, Obama's legacy was a personal obsession. 'This is personal for Trump; it is all about President Obama and demolishing his legacy. It’s his obsession,' said Omarosa Manigault Newman, a former Trump aide. 'President Obama will not be able to rest as long as Trump is breathing.'
When the two men met for a post-election sit-down in November 2016, Obama took the opportunity to advise Trump against going scorched-earth on Obamacare. 'Look, you can take my name off of it; I don’t care,' he said, according to aides.
However, Trump's response was noncommittal, and Obama became increasingly uneasy at the new president's breezy indifference to policy details. Many of Trump's aides ignored the briefing binders Obama's staff had produced, instead inquiring about the quality of tacos in the basement mess or where to find a good apartment.
As for Trump, Obama told an aide after their Oval Office encounter, 'He had no idea what he’s doing.'
Trump's son-in-law and close adviser, Jared Kushner, made an equally indelible impression during a tour of the building. When asked how many of the people they were meeting would be sticking around, Kushner replied, 'So how many of these people are sticking around?' The answer was none, as West Wing officials serve at the president's pleasure.
