Obama: I would have 'enjoyed campaigning against Trump'

President Obama isn't threatened by Donald Trump — in fact, he kind of wishes that he could have run against him. "I would've enjoyed campaigning against Trump," Obama said in an interview with GQ published Tuesday. "That would've been fun."
Obama has said before that while he thinks Trump is a "great publicity seeker" and the "classic reality TV character," he doesn't think the Republican presidential candidate actually stands a chance at being his successor. "I don't think he'll end up being president of the United States," Obama said flat out in an October interview with 60 Minutes.
The real-estate mogul sees it differently, however. In fact, Trump told The Des Moines Register, if he had run in 2012, he thinks he very well could have beaten Obama for the seat in the Oval Office. "I would've won the race against Obama," Trump said in January, before he'd officially entered the 2016 race. "He would've been easy. Hillary [Clinton] is tougher to beat than Obama, but Hillary is very beatable."
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.
One can only wonder: Is Clinton thanking Obama for letting her have all the fun?
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
9 haunted hotels where things definitely go bump in the night
The Week Recommends Don’t fear these spirited spots. Embrace them.
-
Saudi comedy fest exposes free speech schism in stand-up
IN THE SPOTLIGHT The decision by some of stand-up’s biggest names to attend a festival in a nation infamous for its censorship has the comedy world picking sides and settling old scores
-
When should you use a personal loan vs. a credit card?
The Explainer Determine whether you need a lump sum upfront or a borrowing limit
-
Museum head ousted after Trump sword gift denial
Speed Read Todd Arrington, who led the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, denied the Trump administration a sword from the collection as a gift for King Charles
-
Trump declares ‘armed conflict’ with drug cartels
speed read This provides a legal justification for recent lethal military strikes on three alleged drug trafficking boats
-
Supreme Court rules for Fed’s Cook in Trump feud
Speed Read Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook can remain in her role following Trump’s attempts to oust her
-
Judge rules Trump illegally targeted Gaza protesters
Speed Read The Trump administration’s push to arrest and deport international students for supporting Palestine is deemed illegal
-
Trump: US cities should be military ‘training grounds’
Speed Read In a hastily assembled summit, Trump said he wants the military to fight the ‘enemy within’ the US
-
US government shuts down amid health care standoff
Speed Read Democrats said they won’t vote for a deal that doesn’t renew Affordable Care Act health care subsidies
-
YouTube to pay Trump $22M over Jan. 6 expulsion
Speed Read The president accused the company of censorship following the suspension of accounts post-Capitol riot
-
Oregon sues to stop Trump military deployment
Speed Read The president wants to send the National Guard into Portland