Trump shares surprisingly kind words about longtime adversary Obama

Donald Trump had some surprisingly nice words about former adversary Barack Obama ahead of his predecessor's speech at the Democrat National Convention Tuesday. Trump was asked his thoughts on the 44th president and longtime nemesis - but while slamming Obama's policies on trade, Trump spoke highly of his character.

'I like him, I think he's a nice gentleman but he was very, very weak on trade if you take a look at what happened to our country trade-wise it was a disaster.' Trump cited Obama's dealings with China and Japan as a huge flaw in his presidency, but had some praise for the former president and his wife Michelle, also speaking Tuesday. 'I happen to like him. I respect him and I respect his wife,' Trump told CNN.

Trump has said similar things about Obama in the past, despite his criticism in the lead-up to his 2016 election victory and previous claims that Obama was not born in this country. 'I liked him,' Trump said of Obama in a 2021 interview with Bill O'Reilly, The Sun Sentinel reported – even though the crowd booed upon hearing the former president's name. Trump added he thought Obama was 'smart and sharp.'

Before Trump's positive comments aimed at Obama on Saturday, he spent several years in a feud with the former president. Trump, while still a private citizen, spent years promoting the 'birther' conspiracy that Obama was not born in the U.S. – and therefore could not serve as president. After becoming a politician, Trump claimed that Obama was the 'founder of ISIS' and 'one of the worst presidents in the history of the United States.'

Despite a rocky election season in 2016, Obama still wrote Trump an Inauguration Day letter and left it in a drawer in the Oval Office. Trump said at the time it was 'beautiful.' The words come in high contrast to Trump's take on the current Democrat standard-bearer, Kamala Harris, whom he has constantly said is a 'low IQ individual'.

In an interview ahead of the first night of the Democrat National Convention Monday, Trump says that he hopes those attacks aren't 'necessary' but says he's trying to save the country. He said: 'I've always spoken my mind, I don't think she's very good at this, I think she'll destroy our country'.

Trump elaborated on what he based his criticism that he believe Harris isn't intelligent. 'I looked at the things that she said, I looked at the way she deals I looked at her crazy record, I looked at her policies, I just don't happen to think so. I could say she is and that would be very nice,' he told CBS News. 

 In contrast, Trump believes that he is the man to bring intelligence to the White House and protect the American economy. 'I don't think she's a very bright person. I think I am a very bright person and a lot of people say that. I don't think she's a very bright person and you know what? Our country needs a very smart person but I don't consider that an insult, that's just a fact'.

The former president has previously attacked Harris' intelligence, saying at rallies : 'She happens to be a very low IQ individual. We don't need another low IQ individual. She is terrible, she's worse than (Biden). I don't feel sorry for him. He's a bad guy.'

The Obamas headline night two of the Democrat convention in Chicago, which will also feature Vermont socialist Bernie Sanders. Trump is preparing to debate Kamala Harris for the first time on September 10 in Philadelphia.

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