this is "nightline." tonight, transition of power. mr. trump goes to washington. >> mr. president, it was a great honor being with you. >> curtesy and respect on capitol hill as well, but will it last? how quickly could the president-elect and gop leaders undo president obama's signature achieveme ac candidate, donald trump entering the presidency with dozens of pending lawsuits against him or his company including accusations of fraud. >> success, it's going to happen to you. >> abc's brian ross investigates. model first lady, melania trump sharing tea with the first lady at the white house, about to become the second foreign born

her journey to 1600 pennsylvania avenue. how her homeland is celebrating her fairy tale ending, but, first, the nightline 5. >> simulation initiated.

good evening, thank you for

tonight, the peaceful transfer of power now underway. after months of hostility towards one another, donald trump and president obama met face-to-face at the white house today, and the encounter was awkward, yet surprisingly polite. >> reporter: a historic handshake, former adversaries, now members of the world's most exclusive club. together today in the oval office forging a path for america's future. >> my coming two months is to try to facilitate a transition that ensures our president-elect is successful. >> i very much look forward to dealing with the president in the future including counsel. explaining some of the difficulties, some of the high flying assets, and some of the really great things that have been achieved. >> reporter: change has already

>> i think president obama has been the most ignorant president in our history. >> donald trump is uniquely unqualified to be our chief executive. >> reporter: john carl who was in the room, this was not a typical meet and greet. >> reporter: the day nobody, most people, ever thought would come. donald trump sitting down with barack obama in the oval office, an incoming president and outgoing president. >> reporter: for years, trump doubted obama was born in the country. >> why not show the birth certificate. >> donald trump is here tonight. >> reporter: obama acting like the very idea of a trump presidency was a joke. >> say what you will about mr. trump. he certainly would bring some change to the white house. >> reporter: now it's trump who gets the last laugh.

states of america, donald trump. >> reporter: his agenda for the first hundred days includes undoing much of what obama accomplished. >> donald trump wants to repeal and replace obamacare starting on day one. his supporters expect it, but it is quite difficult to do. they need a plan to replace it, and they need to also figure out what they would do with all the people they need health insurance through obamacare. >> reporter: easier said down. today was melania trump's first ever trip to the white house. first time meeting michelle obama too. first lady whose inspiring convention speech in 2008 -- >> because we want our children and our children in this nation to know -- >> because we want our children in this nation to know -- >> reporter: clearly inspired the next first lady's speech in 2016. >> that the only limit to the height of your achievement is the reach of your dreams and

them. >> that the only limit to your achievements is the strength of your dreams and your willingness to work for them. >> reporter: out on the campaign trail, michelle obama did not color punches about donald trump. >> i can't believe i'm saying that a candidate for president of the united states has brag about sexually assaulting women. >> reporter: so it must have been awkward for them to we're told they had a tour, sat for tea, talked about what it's like to raise children in the white house, but this is not any ordinary meeting. >> reporter: maybe not, but trump was happy tweeting a fantastic day, really good meeting. great chemistry. melania liked mrs. o a lot. it was a good day starting with the presidential send off including a water cannon salute as mr. trump made his way to

mike pence at the capitol hill club followed by a meeting in the speaker's capitol hill office. ryan pointed out the spot where president-elect trump will take the oath of office in two month's time. one of the first orders of business? forming a cabinet. trump transition team already launched a website, help wanted. >> we need donald trump as president of the united states. >> reporter: some of the jobs expected to go to his inner chris christie, and sarah palin. today rudy left open the possibility trump will make good on his campaign vow to seek criminal charges against hillary clinton. cnn, he did not chapter "lock her up," but didn't rule it out either. >> it's a tough one to be begin a lot of thought, not an off the cuff answer. the equal administration of justice is one of the most important principles.

know washington, we're getting to know a bit more about the voters who sent him there. among them, many of the folks at chica chick's diner in scranton, pennsylvania. working class voters. >> did you vote for or against? >> four. i have four granddaughters, i want them to be in a good world. >> reporter: this blue collar crowd came through for bill clinton all those years ago. they helped hillary, too, when sh but now they turned on her for a variety of reasons. >> i think one big reason was the fact she was a woman, and i think the office of the presidency should be in a man. >> reporter: really? >> the woman shouldn't be president. >> i'm not sure about that either. even though i am a woman. >> reporter: what? in 2016, you feel that way? >> i feel that way. >> reporter: even though hillary clinton has roots in scranton,

grandfather worked at the old lace factory, one the biggest employer, a plant abruptly shuddered in 2002. most of the textile jobs shipped overseas. trump courted these voters, including a huge rally the night before the election. >> they say we're tied in pennsylvania. i don't think so. >> reporter: last time hillary clinton was in scranton was mid-august, more than two months ago. >> she comes every four years, when she's she's running for something. that's the only time she comes here. you know, over in that cemetery, there's not a flower on the grave. >> reporter: it's not just white voters. especially white men who clenched it for trump. he also got support from places you might not expect. >> i cast my ballot where my conscious took me. >> reporter: author and co-founder of the muslim reform movement writing an opt-ed in the washington post about silently voting for trump.

sometimes it's alarming. sometimes it's very inappropriate. >> reporter: this mom from northern virginia had concerns about affordable health care and isis. >> the issue i care about is islamic extremism was going to be better decided with donald trump's approach. >> reporter: today as that awkward oval office visit wound down -- >> i very much look forward to dealing with the president in the future including counsel. >> reporter: the piece of advice? don't feel it's absolutely necessary to indulge the hungry media crowds. >> this is good rule. don't answer the questions. >> it's always the last one. >> reporter: understandable, really. >> come on, guys. let's go. >> very good man. very good man. >> thank you, appreciate it. >> reporter: everyone's more than a little skeptical how long the spirit will last.

in pennsylvania. up next, donald trump still caught in a tangled web of lawsuits and business deals. abc's brian ross invest gaits. i struggle with bipolar depression, and it's tough. it leaves me feeling sad and empty. it makes it hard to be there for the people i love. so i talked to my doctor and she prescribed latuda. latuda is fda approved to treat bipolar depression which is different from other types of depression. in clinical studies, once-a-day latuda was proven effective for many people with bipolar depression. latuda is not for everyone. call your doctor about unusual mood changes, behaviors, or suicidal thoughts. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. elderly dementia patients on latuda have an increased risk of death or stroke. call your doctor about fever,

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you know, there's always a cost to doing business when electing a businessman for president, for example. in addition to conflict of interest issues, there's dozens of pending lawsuits against trump or trump enterprises meaning our president could find

courtroom. brian ross investigates. >> reporter: even after he takes the oath of office to become president, donald trump could find himself under oath in dozens of lawsuits. he or his company are being sued in cases involving among other things, fraud, sexual harassment, and failure to pay his bills. >> there's no immunity from suit of things that happened before. >> reporter: among the most serious and pressing of the cases are three lawsuits over trump university. >> success, it's going to happen to you. >> reporter: students who paid the $35,000 fee claim he committed fraud when he said he'd help make them rich and personally selected the faculty. >> these are all people hand picked by me. >> reporter: the instructors went further according to students. >> they promised me i would be one of the insiders, and that

condominium, we had first crack of getting into it. >> reporter: he just got a picture of himself next to a life size poster of the billionaire. >> he took my self-respect and embarrassed me. >> reporter: the actual trial is set to begin at the end of the month, and today, while mr. trump was at the white house, his lawyers were at the federal courthouse with the hearing with the presiding judge, the same judge trump accused of bias in the campaign because he's a mexican heritage. >> he's a his name is gonzalgonzalez, and not doing the right thing. >> reporter: and during the campaign, the famous promised lawsuits against the women who claim he had sexually assaulted them. >> i stood up, and he came to me and started kissing me over the mouth as he was pulling me towards him.

sued after the election is over. >> reporter: their lawyer says bring it on. >> whether the president of the united states decides that he wants to spend his time in lawsuits or serving the american people as president of the united states is a question that only mr. trump can answer. if, in fact, he carries out his threat and sues them, then will be recommend to my clients that they file a lawsuit, a cross complaint against mr. trump alleging defamation. >> reporter: lawyers who dealt with trump over the years say he's never. shy about going to court. >> he comes out of new york real estate. that's a rough elbow, sharp elbows walk of life when people sue and get sued all the time. he is not hesitant about going

up for what he thinks is due legal protection, but he's not running businesses anymore. he's going to be president of the united states. >> reporter: but trump's business interests may create conflict for the soon-to-be president. in the midst of the campaign, he took time off to promote his brand with a trip to the golf course in scotland and later opening a new hotel in washington, but nothing raises more questions than his ties to russian investors. with this beauty pageant and buildings, trump has been promoting himself to russians for years traveling to moscow and other former soviet states with his children. daughter ivanka posted this on social media pushing the brand. >> i'm here. >>. >> reporter: yet, as can downtown, we minimized business connections to russia. as in this interview. >> will i sell condos to

probably, but i have no relationship to russia. >> reporter: the head of a russian-american chamber of congress who says he worked on trump licensed projects told abc news there were extensive connections. >> the level of business in moscow, hundreds of millions of dollars that he received as a result of interaction with russian businessmen. >> hundreds of millions of dollars from russian businesses? >> correct. >> reporter: trump made millions, selling moscow rights for the miss univers with a man the fbi considers a top russian mafia figure invited into the vip section. the developer of a license hotel project in trap toe is a russian billionaire. and russian language promotional videos attracted hundreds of wealthy russians to buy condos in trump licensed projects in florida until u.s. sanctions cut off the flow. during the campaign, trump said he was open to lifting those

go ahead. >> so he likes russia because there's money to be made there? >> he likes russia because he like beautiful russian ladies and talking to them of course, and that e he likes to be able to make lots of money with russia, yes, correct. >> reporter: during the campaign, trump said there was no conflict in dealing with russia because his children would run his business in a blind trust. >> he is still going to know what the businesses are? >> we're not going to discuss this. it doesn't matter. trust >> reporter: a leading republican ethics lawyer says that does not solve the problem at all. >> well, i don't see how you have a blind trust when you know what's in the blind trust. the appearance is that a foreign government or foreign organization has influence over the president of the united states. >> reporter: for trump now, the return to new york tonight from the visit of the white house, it's a question of priorities, dealing with international investors versus dealing with international leaders.

for nightline, brian ross, abc news, new york. when we come back, melania trump revealing what kind of first lady she'll be. abc news "nightline" brougts to you by macy's. it's endless shrimp at red lobster. with another new flavor you never saw coming... grilled, glazed korean bbq shrimp.

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and finally tonight, if things had gone a little differently, bill clinton would have been first gentleman, but instead, we have an unexpected first lady with an unlikely background. with a new first lady. >> an incredible woman, melania trump. >> sitting down with mrs. obama for tea and a tour of the white house. on january 20th, michelle passes the torch to the former model, the first foreign born first lady seance john adams' wife. raised in this town, locals celebrated by raising american

t she was not your ordinary girl. her alleged former girlfriend -- >> she was not a typical girl. very, very classy. >> reporter: asked in 1999 when trump considered a run for official, what kind of first lady she would be, replying, i would be traditional like betty ford or kennedy. despite the taken a backseat in the campaign only seen a few times. >> isn't he the best? >> reporter: saying she's busy being a mother. >> i support my husband 100%, but we have a 9-year-old son together, and i'm raising him. >> reporter: just last week, finally giving the world a glimpse of what her future cause as first lady may be. >> we have to find a better way to talk to each other. >> cyber bullying. >> it's bad out there, and

>> a modern cause for any mom, first and foremost. thank you for watching, and as always woour online at abcnews.com and our nightline facebook page. good night, america. now on "celebrity page tv" beyonce, kelly rowland and michelle williams have a destiny child's reunion without moving a muscle. ?? ?? >> the mannequin challenge video that might top them all. >> then, hillary duff talks life with by friend, jason walsh. is the actress thinking of getting married again? plus, zac efron shows off his

?? ?? the actor gets carried away wishing his mike and dave wedding co-star adam devine a happy birthday. ? the best ? big stars, big hollywood. "celebrity page tv" starts now. >> coming to you from celebrity page studio with entertainment news. james vaughn on the west coast, coming up a sneak peek year's hottest films. kicking it off with the big story. >> stars getting out and voting in the u.s. presidential election. from coast to coast, famous faces performing their civic duty. >> happy birthday. >> katy perry giving herself an early birthday present. voting last week. famous families heading to the polls together. and jason sedekes and olivia wilde bringing their baby girl.