Trump says he asked for Obama's opinion on his cabinet appointments

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Donald Trump Barack Obama

REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

President Barack Obama meets with President-elect Donald Trump to discuss transition plans in the White House Oval Office in Washington, U.S., November 10, 2016.

President-elect Donald Trump said in an interview published Wednesday that he solicited advice from President Barack Obama on people he was considering for his cabinet.

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"I wanted to get his opinion," Trump told Time magazine, which named him its "Person of the Year."

Trump continued: "And he gave me some opinions on some people that were very interesting to me, and that meant something to me. ... He wants what's good for our country. So I did talk to him about certain people that I'm thinking about. Got his ideas."

The president-elect said he had "good chemistry" with Obama and enjoyed "a couple of great conversations."

"He - you know he's very committed," Trump said. "And you hear all different - I will tell you, I really liked him, I think he liked me. I think he was surprised also."

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So far, Trump has announced several cabinet appointments, including Gen. James Mattis for secretary of defense and Ben Carson for secretary of housing and urban development. But one of the top posts in his administration - secretary of state - remains unfilled for the time being.