President Barack Obama

The former president didn't directly address the turmoil surrounding his successor, but he did bemoan the political divisions that continue to plague the country.

President Trump accused his predecessor of monitoring his communications. Here is a rundown of the allegations, federal surveillance powers, and what we do and don't know.

In a statement Tuesday the publisher said it was "very much looking forward" to working with the former president and former first lady, who will each be writing a book.

In a letter to the public, Barack Obama reflects on his time as president and looks ahead. "The change we've brought about these past eight years was never about me," he writes. "It was about you."

Acknowledging a "bumpy phase" in politics, President Obama says a majority of Americans are comfortable with the pace of globalization. But, he adds, "Democracy is hard work."

The White House has been critical of Rodrigo Duterte for the killing of thousands of suspected drug dealers since he took office. A planned meeting between the two leaders was canceled.

"It's a political talking point. It's not a strategy," Obama said in a lengthy speech in which he also criticized Donald Trump's proposals for Muslim immigrants.

The two leaders agreed that there are still deep fissures between the two countries, including on human rights issues. But bilateral talks will continue, they promised.

The visit would be the first by a sitting U.S. president since Calvin Coolidge visited the island in 1928.