President Obama joked Wednesday night that while many Republicans are uneasy and unhappy with Donald Trump as their presumptive nominee, many Democrats were more than happy with that pick.
Appearing on “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon,” Obama and Fallon discussed the 2016 presidential race on both the Democratic and Republican sides. Fallon asked if Obama thought Republicans were happy with their choice of presumptive nominee in Trump.
“We are, but I don’t know how they feel,” Obama said with a laugh.
Obama went on to say that the future of the Republican Party actually was no laughing matter for him, and that there are “wonderful Republicans” who he thinks do want what is best for the country.
“But the truth is, actually I am worried about the Republican Party,” Obama continued. “And I know that sounds, you know, you know what it sounds like, but democracy works. This country works when you have two parties that are serious and trying to solve problems and they have philosophical differences and fierce debates and argue and contest elections, but at the end of the day, what you want is a healthy two party system. And you know, you want the Republican nominee to be somebody who could do the job if they win.”
Fallon also asked about the Democratic side of the race as Obama teased his Thursday meeting with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT). Obama said he thinks it’s a good thing that the Democrats have a “contested primary.”
“It was a healthy thing for the Democratic Party to have a contested primary,” he said. “I thought Bernie Sanders brought enormous energy and new ideas. He pushed the party and challenged them. I thought it made Hillary a better candidate. My hope is over the next couple of weeks we’re able to pull things together. What happens during primary, you get a little ouchy.”
When asked if he thought Sanders would endorse Hillary Clinton or when he thought Sanders would drop out, Obama was quick to pivot the conversation to the seriousness of the presidency and took an apparent jab at Trump.
“The main role I’m going to be playing in this process is to remind the American people that this is a serious job,” he said. “This is not reality TV.”
Watch below via CNN:
I’m waiting for the White House Photographer to get a candid photo of Bernie shaking his finger at Obama.
Politicians fight during the election and then come together to govern between the election campaigns? What a concept!
Let’s hope Bernie remembers the part about coming together. His behavior on the whole does not give me much hope especially if he eggs his supporters on to disruptive, non-constructive protests at the convention.
Obama: I am happy that Trump is the nominee as now he will have less time to dig up my birth certificate in Kenya.
“The main role I’m going to be playing in this process is to remind the American people that this is a serious job,” he said. “This is not reality TV.”