Trump Says He’d Beat Obama ‘Easily’ in Potential Presidential Race - Newsweek

President Donald Trump said that he could "easily" beat former President Barack Obama in a hypothetical matchup, while calling his predecessor "highly overrated."

In a sit-down with Stephen A. Smith on Smith's podcast Straight Shooter on Thursday, Trump said, "I got many more votes than he got. And I got many more votes in the states...I have most of the state records of the big states. If you take a look at Texas, I have the all-time record, Florida I have the all-time record." Smith then asked Trump if he was implying that he'd beat Obama, "Yeah, I think I'd beat him easily, yeah. I think he's highly overrated."

In the 2024 presidential election, Trump won all the swing states and the popular vote with 77,304,290 votes compared to Vice President Kamala Harris' 75,019,761 votes. In the 2012 election, Obama defeated Republican Mitt Romney with 62,611,250 votes compared to 59,134,475 votes.

Trump's remarks to Smith come on the heels of sweeping midterm losses for the Republican Party that saw House and Senate majority flip in favor of the Democrats. The president conceded partially that the landslide Democratic wins could be due to the war in Iran, although he said he would still do it again.

Similarly, Democrats lost the midterms in 2010 while Obama was in office.

Newsweek reached out to the office of Barack and Michelle Obama via online portal Thursday night for comment.

In his comments to Smith about Obama, Trump added, "I just think, that's just my opinion, I think he's overrated. I didn't think he was a good president, I thought he was a divider." Smith then asked Trump how he'd classify himself, which he answered, "as a person that brings people together."

In the 2024 presidential election cycle, Trump obtained 6,110,125 votes in Florida versus 4,683,038 votes for Harris, according to the Florida Department of State Division of Elections. In 2012, Obama obtained 4,237,756 votes in the Sunshine State and Romney landed 4,163,447 votes. In state voting data reviewed by Newsweek dating over 40 years, Trump had the most votes for a presidential nominee in Florida.

In Texas, Trump obtained 6,393,597 votes compared to Harris' 4,835,250 votes in the 2024 presidential election. In 2012, Obama had 3,294,440 votes in the Lone Star State compared to Romney's 4,555,799 votes. Newsweek also reviewed state voting data going back decades in Texas, and Trump had the most votes out of any presidential nominee.

Texas has been known as a Republican stronghold for presidential elections, and Florida has shifted to the right over time and is now also seen as a reliable pickup for GOP presidential candidates.

Robert Collins, professor of public policy at Dillard University, told Newsweek on Thursday: "This is clearly just President Trump throwing red meat to his base. Given the president currently has a national job approval rating in the 30s, no rational observer believes he could beat Obama in a head-to-head matchup right now.

"His past remarks on the possibility of running for a third term are also just trying to keep his base happy. No serious constitutional scholar believes there is any legal way for President Trump to run for a third term."

The president's interview with Smith also touched on Iran, working with Democrats during the remainder of his term, gasoline prices, immigration policy and his legacy.

In a CNN-SSRS poll conducted earlier this year, 57 percent said they had a favorable opinion of Obama versus 32 percent who had an unfavorable opinion. Comparatively, Trump had a 34 percent favorability rating versus a 55 percent unfavorable rating.

When asked which president they admire the most, Obama landed 30 percent and Trump had 19 percent, the poll shows.

The poll was conducted from May 7 to May 31 among 2,480 respondents and had a margin of error of 2.7 percent.

A Pew Research Center study conducted earlier this year ranked recent presidents and found that 36 percent thought Obama did the best job. The study shows 13 percent picked him as the second best, for a net of 49 percent. Nineteen percent thought Trump did the best job, and 12 percent picked him as second best for a net of 31 percent.

The poll surveyed 8,512 respondents from January 20-26, 2026.

In a YouGov/Economist poll this week, Trump's approval rating is 32 percent versus a 63 percent disapproval rating. The poll surveyed 1,685 U.S. citizens from November 9 to November 11 and had a margin of error of 3 percent.

In a November 2010 poll after the midterm elections, Obama's approval was 42 percent with a 49 percent disapproval rating, also in a YouGov/Economist poll.

Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here. Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Edward T. Cummins