Obama: Trump is the 'classic reality TV character'

President Obama discussed both current and potential presidential candidates during an interview on 60 Minutes that aired Sunday.
Republican frontrunner Donald Trump, Obama said, is a "great publicity-seeker, and at a time when the Republican Party hasn't really figured out what it's for as opposed to what it's against." Trump's comments on deporting undocumented immigrants and building a wall between the U.S. and Mexico touch something that "exists in the Republican Party that's real," Obama said. But while "I think there is genuine anti-immigrant sentiment in the large portion of at least Republican primary voters, I don't think it's uniform." The billionaire and former star of The Apprentice is "the classic reality TV character," the president added, and while he'll leave it "up to the pundits" to determine if Trump will stay in the race, he does have one prediction: "I don't think he'll end up being president of the United States."
Obama said that he did not know Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton used a private email server while secretary of state, and it was not a threat to national security. "She made a mistake," he said. "She has acknowledged it. I do think that the way it's been ginned up is in part because of politics. And I think she'd be the first to acknowledge that maybe she could have handled the original decision better and the disclosures more quickly." Vice President Joe Biden, who has yet to announce if he will enter the race, is one of the finest vice presidents ever, Obama said, and it's not hard for him to see why he'd want to try for a promotion: "If you're sitting right next to the president in every meeting and... wrestling with these issues, I'm sure that for him he's saying to himself, 'I could do a really good job.'" Catherine Garcia
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Today's political cartoons - March 30, 2025
Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - strawberry fields forever, secret files, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 hilariously sparse cartoons about further DOGE cuts
Cartoons Artists take on free audits, report cards, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Following the Tea Horse Road in China
The Week Recommends This network of roads and trails served as vital trading routes
By The Week UK Published
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wife
speed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Giant schnauzer wins top prize at Westminster show
Speed Read Monty won best in show at the 149th Westminster Kennel Club dog show
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar take top Grammys
Speed Read Beyoncé took home album of the year for 'Cowboy Carter' and Kendrick Lamar's diss track 'Not Like Us' won five awards
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The Louvre is giving 'Mona Lisa' her own room
Speed Read The world's most-visited art museum is getting a major renovation
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Honda and Nissan in merger talks
Speed Read The companies are currently Japan's second and third-biggest automakers, respectively
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Taylor Swift wraps up record-shattering Eras tour
Speed Read The pop star finally ended her long-running tour in Vancouver, Canada
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Drake claims illegal boosting, defamation
Speed Read The rapper accused Universal Music of boosting Kendrick Lamar's diss track and said UMG allowed him to be falsely accused of pedophilia
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
'Wicked' and 'Gladiator II' ignite holiday box office
Speed Read The combination of the two movies revitalized a struggling box office
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published