President Obama told an audience in Japan Thursday that U.S. allies are “rattled” by Donald Trump, and for “good reason,” because many of his proposals “display either ignorance of world affairs or a cavalier attitude” aimed at self-promotion rather than good policy.
The world, Obama said during a news conference at the G7 meeting, is paying close attention to the U.S. election because the United States is the “head of the international order.”
“Even those countries that are critical to us … count on us to provide a certain level of stability and direction in meeting global challenges,” Obama said.
“It’s fair to say they are surprised by the Republican nominee. They are not sure how seriously to take some of these pronouncements – they are rattled by him, and for good reason.”
Many of Trump’s proposals display either “ignorance of world affairs or a cavalier attitude or an interest in getting tweets and headlines rather than thinking through what it is that requires America to remain prosperous in the world and on an even keel.”
The criticism was particularly stinging, coming in the middle of a meeting of G7 leaders, some of America’s closest allies, at Shima Island in Japan. Those participating in the G7 meeting in Japan were British Prime Minister David Cameron, Germany Prime Minister Angela Merkel, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, French President Francois Hollande, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and Japanese Prime Minster Shinzo Abe.
Just hours earlier, a White House reporter traveling with Obama overheard him talking about Trump with Renzi during the beginning of the G7 meeting, but the only words the reporter could make out Obama uttering were “Trump” and “his mistake was” before being ushered out.
