06 May 2016•Update: 07 May 2016
By Kasim Ileri
WASHINGTON
President Barack Obama said Friday that the presidential race should not be seen as “a reality show,” taking on presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.
"I just want to emphasize the degree to which we are in serious times and this is a really serious job. This is not entertainment; this is not a reality show. This is a contest for the presidency of the United States," Obama told reporters at a press conference in Washington.
In his first public comments on Trump since the mogul became the apparent nominee for his party, Obama urged the media to play a role in vetting candidates' policies rather than “emphasizing the spectacle and the circus.
"If they take a position on international issues that could threaten war, or has the potential of upending our critical relationships with other countries, or would potentially break the financial system, that needs to be reported on," Obama said.
Obama said he had "no thought" on Trump's Cinco de Mayo tweet that showed him enjoying a taco bowl as a gesture to Hispanics whom the billionaire has harshly criticized throughout his campaign.
"As a general rule, I don't pay attention to Mr. Trump's tweets," Obama added.
With respect to the Democratic race, Obama said he would like to see the process play itself out but also acknowledged that "everybody knows what that math is."
In order to win the Democratic nomination against Hillary Clinton, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders must win more than 80 percent of the remaining delegates, according to national polls.
