President Obama on Sunday said Donald Trump will confront realities he didn’t anticipate once he’s sworn in, which will force him to adjust some of his staunch positions.
"You can't assume the language of campaigning matches up with the specifics of governing legislation, regulations and foreign policy," said Obama while in Lima, Peru, during his final summit and foreign trip as President.
"I think, like everyone else, we will have to wait and see. But as I have said before, once you are in the Oval Office, once you begin interacting with world leaders, once you see the complexities of the issues, that has a way of shaping your thinking, in some cases modifying your thinking because you recognize this solemn responsibility not only to the American people but the solemn responsibility that America has as the largest, most powerful country in the world.
"I can't guarantee that the president-elect won’t pursue some of the positions he's taken, but what I can guarantee is that reality will force him to adjust many of these issues. That's just the way this office works. You end up confronting realities you didn’t anticipate. I think the same things will happen here and that’s a good thing. That’s an important thing.”
Obama, in Lima for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, also said he would take after President George W. Bush in that he would not publicly comment on Trump's administration once he takes over.
"President Bush could not have been more gracious to me when I came in," Obama said. "My intention is to finish my job and then after that to take Michelle on vacation, get some rest, spend time with my girls and do some writing and some thinking. I want to be respectful of the office and give the president elect an opportunity to put forward his platform and his arguments without somebody popping off at every instance.”