With just slightly more than a year left in his second term in office, President Obama says he would like the current presidential candidates to focus more on explaining the issues.
“The problem with election season is sometimes folks want to devote a lot more time to sloganeering and stirring folks up emotionally,” he said. “But they're not spending enough time really trying to explain to the American people what exactly are you trying to do.”
The two spoke while Obama was in Newark, New Jersey, to highlight efforts to help former inmates returning to society. The first part of the interview aired Tuesday on Nightly News.
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The pair discussed criminal justice reform, the nation’s incarceration rate, Obama's final year in office and the 2016 election.
Obama also revealed how he hopes to be perceived by historians and Americans once he leaves the White House. He said he hopes his legacy will include sparking a new discussion on solving issues of racial inequity.
"One of the things that I've consistently said as president is that I'm the president of all people. I am very proud that my presidency can help to galvanize and mobilize America on behalf of issues of racial disparity and racial injustice," he told Holt on Monday.
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