May 26, 2016

Obama: World Leaders Are “Rattled” by Donald Trump

The president said the real estate magnate was more concerned with “getting tweets and headlines” than actual policy.


President Barack Obama on Thursday said world leaders are “rattled” by the possibility of a Donald Trump presidency, and for “good reason.”

“They are paying very close attention to this election,” Obama told reporters during a press conference in Japan at the end of the first day of the G7 summit. “I think it’s fair to say they are surprised by the Republican nominee. They are not sure how seriously to take some of his pronouncements.”

The president went on to suggest the real estate magnate was more concerned with generating controversy on social media than American safety and foreign policy.

“A lot of the proposals that he’s made display either ignorance of world affairs or a cavalier attitude or an interest in getting tweets and headlines instead of actually thinking through what is required to keep America safe and secure and prosperous,” Obama added.

During his campaign, Trump has made China the target of frequent attacks, even accusing the country of “raping” America in trade policy. The presumptive Republican nominee has also recommended American military forces abandon their stations in South Korea and Japan, replacing troops with nuclear options.

While Obama said world leaders were apprehensive about the unlikely rise and possible success of Trump’s candidacy, at least one news agency reporting Obama’s press conference on Thursday appeared a bit more confident, even if by accident:

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