Obama: ‘I would’ve enjoyed campaigning against Trump — that would’ve been fun’
President Obama is on the cover of GQ’s upcoming “Men of the Year” issue. (GQ)
President Barack Obama says he would have relished the opportunity to run against 2016 Republican frontrunner Donald Trump.
“I would’ve enjoyed campaigning against Trump,” Obama said in an interview with sportswriter Bill Simmons for GQ’s upcoming “Men of the Year” issue. “That would’ve been fun.”
Obama, a noted sports fan, compared himself to Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
“I’m able to stay focused even when there’s a lot of stuff going on around me,” Obama said. “Maybe [like] Aaron Rodgers in the pocket, in the sense of you can’t be distracted by what’s around you, you’ve got to be looking downfield.”
The president throws a football at Soldier Field in Chicago in 2012. (Photo: Pete Souza/The White House)
Simmons asked Obama if he wishes he would have handled the 2014 protests in Ferguson, Mo., differently, compared to some of the other racially charged cases in his presidency.
You know, the challenge of Ferguson and all issues related to police shootings, race and the criminal-justice system is that in order to actually get something done, you have to build consensus. Expressing simple outrage without follow-up is often counterproductive. In the case of Ferguson, I’m the attorney general’s boss. If I chime in with a strong opinion about what’s happened, not only do I stand to potentially damage subsequent law-enforcement cases, but immediately you get blowback and backlash that may make people less open to listening. What was different in Charleston was the clarity of what happened — that allowed, I think, everybody to be open to it.
When the Trayvon Martin case happened, I had an honest response as a father that I think resonated with a lot of people. When Ferguson happened, there was a gap between how quickly we could pull together a police task force, recommendations. And so in that lag, it feels as if I haven’t spoken to the moment as effectively. I suspect that if I were to do it over again, there might be something I could say that would’ve crystallized it more effectively.
But like professional athletes, Obama said, he has learned to accept his mistakes and move past them.
“One thing you learn as president is you’re not always going to perform flawlessly and you have to be able to put that out of your mind and then look at the next problem coming down the pipe,” the president said. “If I’m working out in the gym, sometimes I’ll go to NBA Classics and watch some of these old classic games. … A thing that you’re reminded of, watching those old Bulls games, is Jordan had some stinker games in the playoffs. But he would get that out of his mind, and then the next moment comes and he’s right there.”
He continued: “Part of what I try to do — not at the level that Jordan did on the basketball court — but part of what you aspire to as president or any of these positions of leadership is to try to figure out how to be in the moment, make the best decision you can, know that you’re going to get a bunch of them right, but a bunch of times you’re also not going to get it exactly the way you want it.”
Obama attends an NBA opening night game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Chicago Bulls in Chicago last month. (Photo: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)
Simmons asked Obama if he would consider a post-White House career in sports — specifically, as owner of the Chicago Bulls.
“Absolutely,” Obama said. “Well, you know, I know [current Bulls owner Jerry] Reinsdorf pretty good — he’s not giving that thing up anytime soon. But I have fantasized about being able to put together a team and how much fun that would be. I think it’d be terrific.”
Simmons then suggested the president apply to be commissioner of Major League Baseball, the NBA or the NFL.
“Well, I’m best suited for basketball,” Obama said. “But I cannot believe that the commissioner of football gets paid $44 million a year.”
Obama runs away from the family dog, Bo, on the South Lawn of the White House in 2009. (Photo: Pete Souza/The White House)
