It’s safe to say this is not the trip President Barack Obama envisioned.
Obama departs Monday on what is expected to be his last major trip overseas, a six-day trip to Greece, Germany and Peru, where he is sure to face a slew of questions from nervous world leaders about the election of Donald Trump.
“We certainly expect that the election will be the primary topic on people’s minds everywhere we go,” said Ben Rhodes, deputy national security adviser. “I think, frankly, that would have been the case no matter what the result. But I think that will be more so the case, given the direction that the election took.”
Obama campaigned vigorously for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, describing Trump as unprepared and acknowledging world leaders were concerned about Trump winning.
“They’re rattled by him, and for good reason,” Obama said in May. “Because a lot of the proposals that he’s made display either ignorance of world affairs, or a cavalier attitude, or an interest in getting tweets and headlines instead of actually thinking through what it is that is required to keep America safe and secure and prosperous, and what’s required to keep the world on an even keel.”
Before leaving, Obama will hold a news conference at the White House, where he is sure to get questions about Trump, his trip and and what his means for his own legacy. Obama will have visited nearly 60 countries by the end of the year.
Anita Kumar: 202-383-6017, @anitakumar01