Trump says he would 'easily' beat Obama in hypothetical third-term election, calls him ‘overrated’

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump on Thursday, November 12, said he believed he could easily defeat former President Barack Obama in a hypothetical presidential election, describing his Democratic predecessor as "highly overrated."

Speaking to Stephen A Smith on the 'Straight Shooter' podcast, Trump claimed he had received more votes than Obama and argued that his leadership had brought Americans together through economic success. The exchange took place during a wide-ranging White House interview following Republican losses in the midterm elections.

Trump calls Obama ‘highly overrated’ and claims he would win hypothetical matchup

Smith asked Trump to consider a hypothetical contest in which both former presidents were eligible to seek another term. Trump responded by pointing to his electoral performance and the vote totals he had secured in several states.

"I got many more votes than he got, and I got many more votes in the states," Trump said. "And I have most of the state records of the big states. If you take a look at Texas, I have the all-time record. Florida, I have the all-time record."

When Smith asked whether he was suggesting he would defeat Obama, Trump replied that “yeah, I think I'd beat him easily," he said. After Smith appeared unconvinced, Trump added that "I think he's highly overrated."

When asked to explain his assessment of Obama, Trump said he did not consider him a good president and described him as someone who divided Americans. He contrasted that with his own presidency, saying he brought people together through shared success.

"I didn't think he was a good president. I thought he was a divider," Trump said. When Smith asked how he would describe himself, Trump responded that “a person that brings people together."

Trump also pointed to economic investment and growth as factors that he believed could unite Americans. His remarks came after Democrats secured control of both chambers of Congress in the November 3 midterm elections. Trump repeatedly argued that the results did not reflect his personal political standing because he had not been on the ballot.

A third-term contest between the two presidents, however, would not be constitutionally possible. The 22nd Amendment prohibits anyone from being elected president more than twice. Obama served from 2009 to 2017, while Trump served his first term from 2017 to 2021 before returning to the White House in 2025.

Trump revisits past remarks about hypothetical election against Obama

Trump had previously made similar comments during his first term, following a dispute between the two politicians in 2016. At the time, Obama suggested that he believed he could have won another presidential election if he had been constitutionally eligible to run.

"I'mI'm confident that if I - if I had run again and articulated it, I think I could've mobilized a majority of the American people to rally behind it," Obama said at the time.

Trump responded on X on December 26, 2016, dismissing Obama's suggestion and claiming there was no possibility that he would lose to his predecessor in a hypothetical election.

"President Obama said that he thinks he would have won against me. He should say that but I say NO WAY! - jobs leaving, ISIS, OCare, etc." Trump wrote.

Trump's latest remarks echoed that earlier exchange, with the president once again claiming he would defeat Obama in a hypothetical presidential contest while questioning his predecessor's record in office.