Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
In his Friday Veterans Day speech, President Obama encouraged unity in the wake of the contentious 2016 election. A hard-fought election, he said, "often lays bare disagreements across our nation." He added, "When the election is over, as we search for ways to come together, to reconnect with one another and with the principles that are more enduring than transitory politics, some of our best examples are the men and women we salute on Veterans Day." Obama, who met with 45th President-elect Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday, described how men and women in armed services are the best examples for the rest of the nation looking to recover a sense of togetherness in the wake of the campaigns. "Whenever the world makes you cynical, whenever you seek true humility and selflessness, look to a veteran," he said. "It's the example of young Americans, our 9/11 generation, who as first responders ran into smoldering towers, then ran to a recruiting center and signed up to serve," Obama continued. "It's the example of a military that meets every mission, one united team all looking out for one another, all getting each others' backs. It's the example of the single most diverse institution in our country. Soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and coast guardsmen who represent every corner of our country, every shade of humanity, immigrant and native born. Christian, Muslim, Jew and non-believer alike, all forged into common service."