It sounds like a simple trivia question, but 2016 was anything but simple. If you're asking who was president 2016, you’re actually looking at two very different eras of American history squeezed into a single calendar year. For 356 days of that year, Barack Obama held the reins. He was the 44th President, finishing out the final stretch of his second term. Then, the world watched as Donald Trump won a seismic election in November, though he didn't actually take the oath of office until January 2017.
Politics is messy.
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Most people remember 2016 for the rallies, the red hats, and the endless cable news cycles, but the actual seat of power stayed in Obama's hands throughout that entire chaotic campaign season. It’s a bit of a "gotcha" fact for some. While the headlines were dominated by the fight to succeed him, Obama was still signing executive orders, handling foreign policy, and trying to cement a legacy that felt increasingly under threat.
The Obama Residency: A Long Goodbye
Barack Obama entered 2016 with a surprisingly high approval rating for a "lame duck" president. Usually, by the eighth year, the public is exhausted. Not this time. Gallup data showed him hovering around 50% to 55% for much of the year. He spent those months frantically trying to "future-proof" his achievements. You had the implementation of the Paris Agreement on climate change and the ongoing rollout of the Affordable Care Act.
He was busy.
In March 2016, he did something no president had done in 88 years: he visited Cuba. It was a massive deal. It signaled a thaw in Cold War tensions that had defined Caribbean relations for decades. But even as he stood in Havana, the political ground back home was shifting. The primary elections were in full swing. On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton was battling a surprisingly resilient Bernie Sanders. On the GOP side, a field of 17 candidates was being systematically dismantled by a billionaire real estate mogul who had never held public office.
The Supreme Court Vacancy That Changed Everything
If you want to understand why 2016 felt so high-stakes, look at February 13th. That’s the day Justice Antonin Scalia died. Suddenly, the question of who was president 2016 took on a judicial urgency. Obama nominated Merrick Garland to fill the seat.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had other plans.
He famously refused to even hold a hearing, arguing that the next president—the one the people would choose in November—should make the pick. This was a massive gamble. It left the court with eight justices for over a year and turned the presidential election into a referendum on the future of the Supreme Court. It was a move that enraged Democrats and galvanized conservative voters who might have been skeptical of Donald Trump but deeply cared about the judiciary.
The Election That Defied the Data
By the time summer hit, the country was polarized. You couldn't turn on a TV without seeing a map of "Red States" and "Blue States." Hillary Clinton, Obama’s former Secretary of State, secured the Democratic nomination. She was seen as the "third term" of the Obama presidency. The continuity candidate.
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Donald Trump was the opposite.
He was the "burn it down" candidate. He ran on a platform of "Make America Great Again," focusing heavily on trade, immigration, and a sense that the working class in the Rust Belt had been forgotten by the "coastal elites." Every major poll—The New York Times, CNN, even Fox News—predicted a Clinton victory. Most experts gave her an 80% to 90% chance of winning.
They were wrong.
Election night on November 8, 2016, is one of those "where were you" moments. As the results trickled in from Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin, the "Blue Wall" crumbled. Trump didn't win the popular vote—Clinton actually got nearly 2.9 million more votes—but he won the Electoral College 304 to 227.
The Weird Transition Period
From November 9 until December 31, 2016, the United States was in a strange state of dual-identity. Obama was still the president. He had the codes. He lived in the White House. But Trump was the "President-elect."
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It was awkward.
The two men met in the Oval Office just days after the election. Obama called it an "excellent conversation." Trump called Obama a "very good man." It was a rare moment of public civility in a year defined by vitriol. Behind the scenes, the transition was rocky. The Obama administration was trying to finish environmental regulations, while the Trump transition team, led by Mike Pence (after Chris Christie was ousted), was vetting a cabinet that looked nothing like the one currently in power.
During these final months, Obama took several actions that were clearly aimed at boxing in his successor:
- He permanently banned new oil and gas drilling in vast areas of the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans.
- He designated new national monuments, like Bears Ears in Utah, to protect land from development.
- He expelled 35 Russian diplomats in response to intelligence reports of election interference.
Basically, he was trying to use every last minute of his 2,922 days in office.
Why 2016 Matters So Much Now
We still live in the shadow of 2016. It wasn't just a year; it was a pivot point. When you look at who was president 2016, you see the end of a specific type of technocratic, polished politics and the birth of a populist, media-heavy era that hasn't slowed down since.
Economically, the year was actually pretty decent. The unemployment rate dropped to 4.7% by December. The S&P 500 was up about 9.5%. But the feeling in the country didn't match the numbers. There was a profound sense of cultural dislocation.
The foreign policy shifts were also massive. Obama was pushing the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a massive trade deal meant to check China's influence. Trump hated it. One of the first things Trump did in 2017 was pull out of it, but the debate started in 2016. It was the year America started looking inward.
Misconceptions to Clear Up
- Did Trump take over in 2016? No. He wasn't inaugurated until January 20, 2017.
- Was there a "Co-President" situation? Kinda felt like it, but legally, no. Obama had 100% of the authority until the clock struck noon on Inauguration Day.
- Did Obama try to stop the transition? Despite the rhetoric, the Obama staff famously left "briefing books" for the incoming Trump staff, though many of those books were reportedly never read.
Actionable Takeaways for History Buffs
If you're researching this period or just trying to win a bar bet, here is how you should frame the year 2016 in your mind:
- Verify the Date: If a law was passed or a military strike occurred in 2016, Obama did it. Don't credit or blame Trump for policy actions that happened before January 20, 2017.
- Understand the "Lame Duck" Period: Study the "Interregnum"—the period between the election and the inauguration. It’s a vulnerable time for any democracy, and 2016 was one of the most tense in US history.
- Check the Judicial Record: Remember that 2016 is why the Supreme Court shifted so far to the right. The decision not to confirm Garland changed the legal landscape for the next 30 years.
- Look at the Data, Not the Drama: If you want to see what the country actually looked like, check the Federal Reserve or Bureau of Labor Statistics data for 2016. It shows a country in recovery, even if the political rhetoric suggested a country in "carnage."
The 2016 presidency wasn't just about one man. It was about a collision between the 44th and 45th presidents that reshaped how we talk about power in the 21st century.
Next Steps for Deep Research:
To get a full picture of the transition of power, you should read the official "Transition Reports" from the GSA (General Services Administration) and compare the 2016-2017 handover to the 2020-2021 period. It provides a fascinating look at how bureaucracy handles a complete 180-degree turn in political ideology. You can also look up the specific executive orders Obama signed in December 2016 to see exactly what he was trying to protect before leaving the White House.