title: Obama-Trump meeting 'less awkward' than some might have expected: White House
text: WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama’s Oval Office meeting on Thursday with his elected successor, Donald Trump, was an important first step for a smooth transition of power, the White House said. “President Obama came away from the meeting with renewed confidence in the commitment of the president-elect to engage in an effective, smooth transition,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest told a news briefing. Trump and Obama did not resolve their differences, Earnest said, but, based on their agreement on the need for an effective transition, “the meeting might have been at least a little less awkward than some might have expected.” 