Obama Criticizes Trump, Other Candidates Ahead of GOP Debate

President Obama criticized the Republican presidential candidates ahead of a Wednesday night debate, arguing that they are “talking down America” with gloomy takes on the economy and other issues.

In a speech before the Business Roundtable, Obama noted that energy prices and health care costs have gone down since he took office, while the stock market and consumer confidence have gone up.

“Now, you wouldn’t know any of this if you were listening to the folks how were seeking this office that I occupy,” he said. “In the echo chamber that is presidential politics, everything is dark and everything is terrible. They don’t seem to offer many solutions for the problems that they perceive, but they’re quick to tell you who to blame.”

Obama did not name any of the presidential candidates, but his remarks did seem pointed at Republican frontrunner Donald Trump, who has adopted “Make America great again” as his campaign slogan.

“Despite the perennial doom and gloom that I guess is inevitably a part of a presidential campaign, America is winning right now,” he said, tapping a podium for emphasis. “America is great right now.”

Still, Obama was not entirely down on the Republican candidates. He also noted that two leading Republican candidates have proposed eliminating the carried interest loophole, which allows hedge fund managers and others to pay a lower income tax rate than that imposed on ordinary income. (Obama didn’t name them, but the candidates are Trump and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.)

Obama’s criticism of Trump came one day after Vice President Joe Biden called the real estate mogul’s immigration stance “a sick message” that “absolutely denigrated an entire group of people.”

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