Former President Obama offered “reflections” instead of advice to President Trump in an Inaguration Day letter that touched on American leadership in the world and democratic institutions, CNN reported Sunday.
In the nearly 300-word letter obtained by the network, Obama congratulated him on his “remarkable run” and said “all of us, regardless of party, should hope for expanded prosperity and security during your tenure.”
“This is a unique office, without a clear blueprint for success, so I don’t know that any advice from me will be particularly helpful,” Obama added. “Still, let me offer a few reflections from the past 8 years.”
{mosads}The former president noted that both he and Trump have “been blessed, in different ways, with great good fortune.”
“It’s up to us to do everything we can [to] build more ladders of success for every child and family that’s willing to work hard.”
Obama also urged Trump to preserve American leadership on the world stage “through action and example,” and emphasized that both of them were just “temporary occupants of this office.”
“That makes us guardians of those democratic institutions and traditions — like rule of law, separation of powers, equal protection and civil liberties — that our forebears fought and bled for,” Obama wrote. “Regardless of the push and pull of daily politics, it’s up to us to leave those instruments of our democracy at least as strong as we found them.”
Obama ended his note to the new president by encouraging him to take time for friends and family, and wished him “Good luck and godspeed.”
CNN reports it obtained a copy of the letter from someone shown the letter by Trump, adding that the president occasionally shows it to visitors at the White House.
Trump had previously gushed about the letter in an interview with ABC News shortly after taking office. He called Obama’s letter “beautiful” and “so well-written.”
“I doubt too many of them were written in this manner,” Trump said.
“In fact, I called him and thanked him for the thought that was put into that letter.”
Trump didn’t let ABC News host David Muir read the letter but noted it was “long” and “thoughtful.”
“It was long. It was complex. It was thoughtful. And it took time to do it, and I appreciated it and I called him and thanked him,” Trump said.