Obama on Trump: 'This is not a reality show'
"I just want to emphasize the degree to which we're in serious times and this is a really serious job," Obama said during a Friday press conference.
"This is not entertainment. This is not a reality show. This is a contest for the presidency of the United States," he continued.
"And what that means," Obama went on, "is that every candidate, every nominee, needs to be held to exacting standards and genuine scrutiny," he continued.
Obama said there's still "plenty of time" to talk about Trump's policies and positions on various issues, and he's looking for all of the candidates to be held to their records.
"If that happens, then I'm confident our democracy will work," he said.
Obama, when asked later int he press conference about House Speaker Paul Ryan's refusal, at this point, to endorse Trump, said he'd leave it to Republicans to "square their circle."
The president also briefly addressed the Democratic side of the race, in which Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton looks to have an insurmountable lead on insurgent challenger Sen. Bernie Sanders. He suggested the process should play out, but he acknowledged the mathematical challenge for Sanders.
Said Obama: "I think everybody knows what that math is."