President Obama Invites Donald Trump to Meet at the White House

Chris Kleponis/DPA/ZUMA

President Barack Obama called Donald Trump on early Wednesday morning to congratulate him on his stunning presidential victory and extend an invitation to meet at the White House on Thursday to discuss a “smooth transition of power,” the White House announced in a statement.

“Ensuring a smooth transition of power is one of the top priorities the president identified at the beginning of the year and meeting with the president-elect is the next step.”

In his victory speech, Trump promised to be a “president for all Americans” and unite the country after one of the most divisive and bruising campaigns in the nation’s history. Trump’s win came as a shocking upset, defying national polls that consistently showed Hillary Clinton to be leading her Republican opponent by comfortable margins.

Obama is expected to address the country later on Wednesday to discuss the election results. The White House’s statement below: