Trump says he would 'easily' defeat Obama in hypothetical election - Anadolu Ajansı

US President Donald Trump said Thursday that he would easily defeat former President Barack Obama in a hypothetical presidential election, calling his Democratic predecessor "highly overrated."

"Yeah, I think I'd beat him easily," he said during an interview with sports commentator Stephen A. Smith.

Trump was responding to a question about a hypothetical election in which both former presidents would be allowed to seek another term.

"I got many more votes than he got," he said, pointing to his electoral performance in states including Texas and Florida.

Pressed to explain his criticism, Trump said: "I didn't think he was a good president. I thought he was a divider."

Trump, when asked how he would describe himself, responded: "A person that brings people together." He argued that economic success would help unite Americans, citing his administration's claims about investment and economic growth.

The exchange came during a wide-ranging interview at the White House following Republicans' sweeping losses in the Nov. 3 midterm elections, which handed Democrats control of both chambers of Congress.

Trump repeatedly argued that the election results did not reflect his personal political strength because his name was not on the ballot.

The hypothetical contest would be prohibited under the US Constitution's 22nd Amendment, which bars anyone from being elected president more than twice.

Obama served two terms from 2009 to 2017, while Trump served his first term from 2017 to 2021 before returning to the White House in January 2025.