Obama says foreign leaders are asking about ‘wackier Republican suggestions’

U.S. President Barack Obama admitted Tuesday that he is getting questions from foreign leaders about “some of the wackier suggestions that are being made” by Republican presidential candidates.

“I do have to emphasize it’s not just Mr. Trump’s proposals, you’re also hearing concerns about Mr. Cruz’s proposals, which in some ways are just as draconian when it comes to immigration for example,” Obama said to journalists at the White House Tuesday.

Obama’s comments stem from a Washington Post report that cites a two-page memo sent by Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump threatening to change a rule under the Patriot Act anti-terrorism law to cut off money transfers sent to Mexico. Trump added that he would withdraw the threat if Mexico makes “a one-time payment of $5 billion to $10 billion” to finance the wall.

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Obama dismissed the Trump proposal.

“Good luck with that,” Obama said. “This is just one more example of something that is not thought through and is primarily put forward for political consumption.”

Obama went on to explain the economic implications Trump’s proposals would have on Mexico and that it would drive more immigrants to the U.S. to find jobs.

“We’ve got serious problems here, we’ve got big issues around the world,” the president said. “People expect the president of the United States…to treat these problems seriously, to put foreign policies that have been examined and analysed…”

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“They don’t expect half-baked notions coming out of the White House,” Obama said.

–with a file from The Associated Press