Attacking President Obama, Trump knocks Clinton

WASHINGTON (SINCLAIR BROADCAST GROUP) — As President Obama shared the concerns foreign leaders have over the nomination of Donald Trump, the candidate celebrated reaching the 1,237 delegate threshold that guarantees he will be his party's nominee.

Pivoting to the general election, Trump has been attacking the man he hopes to replace increasingly, slamming President Obama, and through him Hillary Clinton, for the current state of the country.

The attacks, experts explain, are to be expected and are an advisable move.

"Donald Trump is the change candidate so by the very definition he has to attack that which came before," said Thomas Whalen, associate professor of social sciences as Boston University.

"I think it's smart politics, he has to criticize Obama," Whalen said.

"He has to be ultra-critical of Obama otherwise, what's the point of his campaign?"

RELATED | Obama: World leaders rightfully 'rattled' by Trump

"It's a smart strategy on Trump's part to the extent that we seldom in the modern presidency elect a third term," said Jeanne Zaino, Professor of Political Science at New York University.

"The one wrinkle is that Obama is fairly popular still," Zaino said.

"Obama's poll numbers are a lot higher than some of the more recently departing presidents," Zaino explained, noting how the president "remains incredibly popular."

Just this week, Obama's approval rating hit its highest rate since his second inauguration and Clinton is trying to capitalize on that.

Clinton has been clinging to that popularity, aligning herself closely with Obama as she courts the same supporters that got him elected in 2008 and 2012.

"It's smart politics for Hillary Clinton to support Obama when poll numbers show he's well regarded," Whalen said.

RELATED | Obama reflects on presidency, hints at Clinton administration at Correspondents' dinner

"Clinton has really hugged Obama," Zaino said noting that Clinton has clung on to the president because she "has so desperately needed the Obama coalition to pull her over the top."

Though in aligning herself with the President, Clinton opens herself up to the same criticisms Trump hurls at him, and she may be more hurt by them than the subject of the attacks himself.

Asked who is more hurt by Trump's attacks, Zaino explained that "it depends on how you look at it."

The attacks, Zaino suggested, "probably hurt Hillary Clinton a bit more than they hurt Obama."

"I don't think they're going to stick as much on Obama."

"I think you would definitely hurt Hillary Clinton more here," Whalen said.

"Obama has nothing to lose."

The way it could impact Obama? If a President Trump were to follow through on some of the promises he's made. Trump has repeatedly said that within hours of taking office he'd overturn some of the policies Obama has worked so hard to implement.

The reversal of some of Obama's policies would "certainly," impact the president's legacy, Whalen said.

Citing Obama's healthcare reform plan as an example, Whalen said that if you were to get rid of that policy "that would tarnish his legacy."

However, Whalen questioned "how would it effect the country as a whole?"

Once Presidents come to power, Whalen noted they come to find that "it's not so easy to change direction," especially when it comes to matters of domestic and foreign policy.

"It just doesn't work that way in politics," Whalen added.

Whalen cited the historical example of Thomas Jefferson.

RELATED | Trump thanks ND delegates for helping him 'over the top'

Jefferson, Whalen explained "hated everything," about Alexander Hamilton's financial program.

But when Jefferson became president, he realized that overturning Hamilton's policies "would destroy the financial structure of the United States," Whalen said.

"I think it is incredibly difficult to trust any public figure or candidate who says they are going to easily reverse things," Zaino said.

While a candidate may come in promising certain changes, Zaino said "those promises are difficult to achieve."

The president, Zaino explained, lacks the political power and authority to make such changes unilaterally.

"This is what makes the public incredibly frustrated, disenchanted [and] disillusioned," Zaino said, when a candidate makes such promises and cannot deliver.

"It's just kind of an endless cycle unfortunately in American politics, especially in the American presidency."