Trump Cites The Most Unhinged Source To Insult Obama As A ‘Jerk’

Donald Trump on Tuesday claimed Kim Jong Un thought former President Barack Obama was “a real jerk” and then agreed with the North Korean dictator.

The Republican nominee’s remarks came on the same day his former chief of staff, John Kelly, was reported to say that Trump meets the definition of a fascist and would rule like a dictator if he wins next month’s presidential election. Kelly also told The New York Times that Trump had expressed admiration for Adolf Hitler when they worked together.

At a rally in Greensboro, North Carolina, hours after the news broke, Trump lauded the leaders of several U.S. adversaries. He praised China’s Xi Jinping as a “brilliant” and “fierce” man with whom he gets along “very well.” He also called Xi, Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin “tough people.”

“He has no respect for our leadership now,” Trump said of Kim, who has reportedly ordered the executions of hundreds of people since coming to power.

“And he doesn’t respect, he didn’t respect Obama,” Trump added. “He thought Obama was a real jerk. And I think he’s a real jerk because I’ve watched him campaign over the … last couple of days, I watched him campaign. What a divider he is.”

Trump’s bizarre decision to side with a brutal dictator over an American leader is nothing new. For years, he has praised authoritarians and U.S. enemies while casting doubt on American institutions and insulting allies.

In addition to calling Obama a “divider,” he made some additional remarks about his predecessor that critics declared to be more examples of classic Trump projection.

“I think the guy’s exhausted,” he said of Obama, who’s been hitting the campaign trail for Vice President Kamala Harris. “And I never say guy’s looking old, but he is looking a little bit older, isn’t he?”

It comes as Trump has pulled out of a series of public appearances and interviews, with his team reportedly citing exhaustion to one outlet. He’s also facing intense scrutiny over his cognitive health amid increasingly rambling and incoherent speeches, frequent mix-ups and other erratic behavior.