SHIMA, Japan (AP) – President Barack Obama asserted Tuesday that foreign leaders are “rattled” by Donald Trump and have good reason to feel that way, as he accused the presumptive Republican presidential nominee of ignorance about world affairs.
Weighing in on the Democratic race to replace him, Obama also downplayed concerns that the protracted fight between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders is hurting his party’s chances, brushing off their escalating attacks as the inevitable “grumpiness” of a primary campaign.
Obama’s assessment of the presidential campaign came on the sidelines of a Group of Seven advanced economies summit in Japan, the latest world gathering to be colored by global concerns about Trump. Obama said foreign leaders at the conference are “surprised by the Republican nominee” and unsure how seriously to take his pronouncements.
“They are rattled by it – and for good reason,” Obama said. “Because a lot of the proposals he has made display either ignorance of world affairs, or a cavalier attitude, or an interest in getting tweets and headlines.”
He contrasted that to proposals that thoughtfully address what’s required to keep the U.S. safe and prosperous and “to keep the world on an even keel.”