Barack Obama says he was ‘impressed’ by Donald Trump’s Presidential campaign, but ‘absolutely’ has ‘concerns’ over him running the US
The President said the role had a 'way of waking you up' and there were certain elements of the billionaire's temperament he had to correct
PRESIDENT Barack Obama has revealed he believes Donald Trump is "sincere" about his new role as Leader of the Free World but he is going to have to work on his temperament when he takes office.
And he also said despite being "impressed" by his ability to connect with voters, the billionaire needs to speak out to those who have concerns over the inflammatory ideas in his campaign.
Speaking at his first press conference since meeting with the President-Elect he told reporters: "I think he is coming to this office with fewer set hard and fast policy prescriptions than a lot of other presidents might be arriving with.
"Do I have concerns? Absolutely, of course I've got concerns. He and I differ on a whole bunch of issues."
Obama held the conference at The White House on Monday and also commented on Trump's style: "I don't think he is ideological, I think ultimately he is pragmatic in that way and that can serve him well as long as he has got good people around him and he has a good sense of direction."
The President said he had been "impressed" by Trump's ability to connect to voters, and told the President-Elect when they met.
He added: 'I think that to the extent that there were a lot of folks who missed the Trump phenomenon.
"I think that connection that he was able to make with his supporters, that was impervious to events that might have sunk another candidate, that's powerful stuff.'
Obama also neatly side-stepped any comment on the appointment of Stephen Bannon as Trump's senior White House policy adviser.
Bannon has strong links with the alt-right, and is known for his website Breitbart News, which is considered politically conservative and known for its racist, sexist and misogynistic views.
Obama said he felt he could not comment as he was committed to a smooth transition of power between his regime and Trump's new one.
However he added: "I think it is important for us to let him make his decisions. The American people will judge over the course of the next couple of years whether they like what they see.
"This office has a way of waking you up. Those aspects of his positions or his predispositions that don't match up with reality, he will find shaken up pretty quick because reality has a way of asserting itself."
He went on to make a swipe at Trump's temperament, saying he needed to work on it as it just wouldn't work as a President: "There are going to be certain elements of his temperament that will not serve him well unless he recognizes them and corrects them.
"I think he recognizes that this is different."
He also allayed fears Trump could be pulling the US out of NATO: "In my conversations with the President-elect, he expressed a great interest in maintaining our core strategic relationships.
"One of the messages I will be able to deliver is his commitment to NATO and the transatlantic alliance."
Obama also appeared to make a dig at Hillary Clinton, suggesting the Democratic nominee didn't spend enough time on the campaign trial getting her opinions heard.
Drawing on the example of Iowa, which is a mostly white state, he said he won it "not because of the demographics", but because he went to "every small town and fair and fish fry and VFW."