Obama insisted that despite his differences with President-elect Donald Trump he would uphold the central tenet of American democracy.
Speaking in the Rose Garden as some of his aides sobbed, Obama made a deliberate effort to counter Democrats' crushing sense of doom at the prospect of four years of President Trump.
"It is no secret that the President-elect and I have some pretty significant differences," Obama said with Vice President Joe Biden at his side. "We are now all rooting for his success in uniting and leading the country."
