Obama criticises Trump's attacks, says president should focus on governing

Former US President Barack Obama has taken a swipe at President Donald Trump, describing Trump's repeated public attacks on him as "strange" and suggesting he occupies a permanent place in the president's thoughts.

Speaking on the All the Smoke podcast, Obama joked that he "lives rent-free" in Trump's head, arguing that a sitting president should focus on serving the American people instead of fixating on former leaders.

"The thing about it is, look, you've got to ask him what it is ... the obsession. I obviously have a room in his head, a suite in his head," Obama said.

The former president contrasted Trump's approach with his own time in office, saying he was too occupied with presidential duties to spend time tracking or comparing himself to previous administrations.

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"I've got work to do. The idea that I'd be worrying about somebody who came before and me trying to measure, like, 'What's he done today?' Constantly worrying about that is a strange thing to me. It shows me somebody who is not focused on the American people and the job they're supposed to do," he added.

Obama also claimed that Trump behaves differently in private than he does in public, suggesting the president adopts a more confrontational tone when speaking to large audiences or online.

According to Obama, face-to-face conversations often reveal a different side of people than the personas they project through social media or public platforms.

The remarks came shortly after the opening of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago. During the event, former First Lady Michelle Obama appeared to take a subtle jab at Trump by reminding attendees that her husband won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009.

Obama also used the occasion to defend democratic values, telling attendees that America has no "kings or lords."

The exchange follows months of criticism from Trump directed at Obama. Earlier this year, Trump addressed controversy surrounding a video shared on his Truth Social account that depicted Barack and Michelle Obama as primates.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said he had not watched the entire clip and blamed staff for allowing the offensive imagery to be included.

"I guess during the end of it, there was some kind of picture people don't like. I wouldn't like it either, but I didn't see it. I just looked at the first part, and it was really about voter fraud," Trump said at the time.