Donald Trump told Stephen A. Smith he would ‘beat him easily’ in a hypothetical race against Barack Obama, calling him ‘highly overrated’
Obama still living rent-free in Trump's head.
President Donald Trump has taken another swipe at former President Barack Obama, dismissing his legacy as overrated and claiming he would easily defeat him in a hypothetical presidential election. Trump made the remarks during an interview with sports commentator Stephen A. Smith for his Straight Shooter with Stephen A. show. The conversation turned to a hypothetical matchup between the two presidents, with Smith asking Trump how he would fare against Obama if they were both able to run for another term.
Trump was quick to predict a comfortable victory for himself, pointing to his previous election results as evidence of his political strength. “I got many more votes than he got, and I got many more votes in the states,” Trump told Smith, adding that he held all-time voting records in states including Texas and Florida.
When Smith directly asked whether he believed he could beat Obama, Trump replied: “Yeah, I think I’d beat him easily.” The president then added that Obama was “highly overrated,” prompting Smith to question what exactly made him reach that conclusion.
Trump calls Obama a ‘divider’ but describes himself as someone who brings people together
Trump described his criticism as his own opinion of his predecessor’s time in office. “I just think that’s just my opinion. I think he’s overrated. I didn’t think he was a good president. I thought he was a divider,” Trump said.
Smith then asked Trump how he would describe himself in comparison. “As a person that brings people together?” Trump responded.
Smith followed up by asking how exactly he believed he accomplished that. Trump attributed it to economic success, arguing that the country’s prosperity would ultimately unite Americans. He also pointed to what he described as $22.2 trillion in investments coming into the United States, suggesting that the economic results would become increasingly apparent.
A hypothetical Trump-Obama rematch would face a constitutional obstacle
Although Trump appeared confident about the outcome of a hypothetical contest, neither he nor Obama could legally seek another presidential term. The 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution prohibits anyone from being elected president more than twice. Obama served two consecutive terms between 2009 and 2017, while Trump served from 2017 to 2021 before returning to the White House in January 2025.
The hypothetical matchup also comes after the Nov. 3 midterm elections, in which Democrats gained control of both chambers of Congress. Trump had previously pushed back against suggestions that the results reflected his own political standing, arguing that he had not personally been on the ballot.
Obama, meanwhile, had participated in campaigning for Democratic candidates ahead of the midterms, including candidates who went on to win Senate races in Ohio and Michigan. The former president’s office had not publicly responded to Trump’s latest remarks at the time of reporting.
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