Obama hits Trump for praising Putin: 'Saddam Hussein had a 90 percent poll rating'

President Obama did not hold back when talking about Donald Trump praising Putin.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 13 September 2016

While stumping for Hillary Clinton in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, President Obama tore into Donald Trump for praising Russian President Vladimir Putin. Reminding voters that the Republican nominee raved about Putin's "82 percent" approval rating, Obama noted that former Iraq President Saddam Hussein had a "90 percent poll rating." "I mean, if you control the media and you've taken away everybody's civil liberties, and you jail dissidents, that's what happens," Obama said, in what marked his first solo appearance on the campaign trail this election.

"Think about the fact that that is Donald Trump's role model," Obama said, before asking the audience if they could ever imagine Ronald Reagan "idolizing somebody like that."