Obama Calls GOP Primary A 'Circus' During Historic Meeting With Canadian Prime Minister
WASHINGTON (CBSNewYork/AP) --€” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he's looking forward to working with the next U.S. president -- whoever it is.
Trudeau, accompanied by his wife, Sophie Grégoire-Trudeau, made the remarks after arriving at the White House for his first official visit on Thursday.
Trudeau said his new, liberal government is promoting economic policies that resemble the Obama administration's proposals. He says the two governments "share and are working on the exact same objectives."
COMPLETE CAMPAIGN 2016 COVERAGE
After meeting with President Barack Obama, Trudeau took a question at White House news conference about the presidential campaign. The prime minister passed up the chance to criticize Republican candidates Donald Trump and Ted Cruz, saying he has "tremendous confidence" in the American people. Trudeau praised Obama as a man with "tremendous heart and tremendous intellect."
Obama, however, criticized the Republican party as a whole, saying Donald Trump's positions aren't different from those of the other Republican presidential candidates. The president asserted Trump is just more provocative in talking about his view of the issues.
Obama then called the GOP primary a "circus" and a "Republican crackup" resulting from GOP actions. Obama says he takes responsibility for failing to bridge political divides, but says he has not contributed to the worsening tone of political rhetoric.
Obama says he believes the Democrats are doing a fine job of working out issues in their primary.
Trudeau's visit is the first official visit to Washington by a Canadian prime minister in nearly two decades.
Trudeau was elected Prime Minister of Canada in 2015.
(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
