If you’re looking back at who was the president in 2016, you’re basically looking at the most chaotic handoff in modern American history. It wasn't just one person. For most of that year, Barack Obama was finishing up his second term, trying to cement his legacy. But by the time the ball dropped on New Year's Eve, the world was bracing for Donald Trump.
The transition was jarring.
Think about the vibe of 2016. We had the Rio Olympics, Lemonade by Beyoncé, and everyone was walking into traffic playing Pokémon GO. But under the surface, the political landscape was fracturing. To answer the question of who was president in 2016, you have to look at the "Lame Duck" period—that weird phase where one leader is packing boxes and the other is picking out curtains (or, in this case, tweeting about them).
The Obama Era’s Final Act
Barack Obama spent the bulk of 2016 as the sitting president. He was the 44th person to hold the office. By his eighth year, he wasn’t just a politician; he was a cultural fixture. He spent a lot of that year doing "legacy" stuff. He visited Cuba in March, becoming the first sitting U.S. president to do so since Calvin Coolidge in 1928. It was a huge deal. He also made a historic trip to Hiroshima.
Domestically, Obama was dealing with a Republican-controlled Congress that basically treated him like a ghost. When Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died in February 2016, Obama nominated Merrick Garland. The Senate, led by Mitch McConnell, simply refused to hold a hearing. It was a stalemate that defined the year. While Obama was technically the president in 2016, his ability to pass new laws was almost zero. He relied heavily on executive orders, especially on environmental issues and immigration.
Honestly, the 2016 presidency felt like a long goodbye. Obama’s approval ratings actually climbed throughout the year. People were getting nostalgic before he even left. He gave a speech at the Democratic National Convention that summer that felt like a passing of the torch to Hillary Clinton, but the fire didn't catch the way he expected.
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The 2016 Election: Enter Donald Trump
You can't talk about who was the president in 2016 without talking about the guy who won the job in November. Donald Trump’s campaign was, for lack of a better word, a wrecking ball. He entered the year as a "long shot" in the eyes of the media and the political establishment.
He wasn't a politician. He was a real estate mogul and a reality TV star.
By the time the Republican National Committee rolled around in Cleveland, he had systematically dismantled 16 other candidates, including seasoned governors like Jeb Bush and senators like Ted Cruz. It was wild to watch. He tapped into a specific kind of frustration in the "Rust Belt"—states like Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania. While the Obama administration pointed to falling unemployment numbers, Trump pointed to shuttered factories and felt-left-behind communities.
November 8, 2016, changed everything.
Despite losing the popular vote by nearly 2.9 million votes, Trump won the Electoral College 304 to 227. This is the quirk of the American system that confuses everyone. You can have more people like you, but if you don't win the right states, you don't get the keys to the White House.
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The "Two Presidents" Problem
From November 9 until the end of the year, the U.S. basically had two centers of gravity. You had the actual president in 2016, Obama, trying to wrap up the Trans-Pacific Partnership (which failed) and dealing with reports of Russian interference in the election. Then you had President-elect Trump, running his transition team out of Trump Tower in Manhattan.
It was awkward.
Traditionally, the outgoing and incoming presidents show a united front. Obama and Trump met in the Oval Office just days after the election. Obama called the meeting "excellent," and Trump said he had "great respect" for Obama. But that didn't last. By December, they were clashing over policy toward Israel and how to handle intelligence reports regarding cyberattacks.
If you were living through it, it felt like the country was holding its breath. The "president in 2016" was a moving target. If you needed a law signed, it was Obama. If you wanted to know what the future of the economy looked like, you looked at Trump’s Twitter feed.
Key Milestones of the 2016 Presidency
- January 12: Obama delivers his final State of the Union address.
- March 20: The historic Cuba visit happens.
- July: Both major parties hold their conventions, cementing Trump and Clinton as the choices.
- September-October: Three massive debates. The "Access Hollywood" tape drops. The FBI re-opens (and then closes) an inquiry into Clinton's emails.
- November 8: Election Day. Trump wins.
- December 19: The Electoral College officially casts its votes, confirming Trump as the 45th president.
Why People Get This Year Mixed Up
People often ask "who is are president 2016" (excuse the grammar) because the transition was so loud it drowned out the actual governance. Usually, a president’s final year is quiet. Obama’s wasn't. Trump’s rise wasn't.
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Also, the Supreme Court vacancy made the presidency feel "incomplete" that year. With only eight justices on the bench for most of 2016, the third branch of government was in a state of suspended animation. Everything felt like it was waiting for the election results.
Actionable Insights: Understanding the 2016 Legacy
If you're researching this for school, work, or just because you’re settling a bet at a bar, keep these three things in mind to sound like an expert:
- Distinguish between "Incumbent" and "President-elect": Barack Obama was the incumbent for the entire 366 days (it was a leap year!) of 2016. Donald Trump was the President-elect for the final 53 days.
- The Supreme Court Gap: Remember that 2016 was the year of the "empty seat." This is why the 2016 presidency had such a massive long-term impact on the judiciary.
- The Executive Power Shift: 2016 marked a pivot point where the use of executive orders became the primary tool for governing, a trend that continued through the Trump and Biden administrations.
To get a true feel for the era, look up the "Presidential Transition Act of 1963." It’s the boring law that governs how Obama had to hand over the keys to Trump. It’s the reason the 2016 transition happened at all, despite how much the two men disagreed.
The year 2016 started with Obama trying to define his eight-year legacy and ended with Trump preparing to dismantle much of it. It was a year of two very different Americas living in the same house.
Next Steps for Your Research:
- Check the National Archives: They maintain the official "Public Papers of the Presidents" for 2016, which includes every speech Obama gave.
- Review the Electoral College results: Look at the county-level maps to see why the 2016 presidency shifted the way it did.
- Watch the 2016 Farewell Address: Obama’s speech in Chicago (January 2017, but reflecting on 2016) summarizes his view of the office he held that year.