Extract from ABC News
Updated
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Barack Obama said 'there are going to be different visions' for America. (Reuters: Joshua Roberts)
US President Barack Obama says the dark vision
presented by Donald Trump in his acceptance speech for the Republican
presidential nomination is not based on facts.
At a White House news conference after meeting with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, Mr Obama mocked Mr Trump's speech, which depicted America as under siege from illegal immigrants, Islamic State militants, and race-related violence."This idea that America is somehow on the verge of collapse, this vision of violence and chaos everywhere, doesn't really jibe with the experience of most people," Mr Obama told reporters, without mentioning Mr Trump by name.
Mr Obama said the violent crime rate in America had been lower during his seven-and-a-half years in office than any time during the last three or four decades, despite an "uptick" in murders in some cities this year, and the recent high-profile killings of black men and police officers.
President Obama also said the rate of illegal immigration was down from past decades.
"There are going to be different visions about where we should go as a country," Mr Obama said, running down a list of economic issues facing the nation.
"But we're not going to make good decisions based on fears that don't have a basis in fact," he said.Just three weeks ago, Mr Obama — who has six months left in the White House — invited the Mexican president to visit one last time before the US president leaves on January 20.
Mr Trump has pledged to build a wall at the Mexico border to keep out illegal immigrants and drugs, and to force Mexico to pay for it.
Video: 'Trump administration would be a disaster for American foreign policy.' (The World)
The timing of the quickly arranged short meeting presented both leaders with a convenient platform from which to criticise Mr Trump.
Mr Pena Nieto was first to mention Mr Trump, but said he respected both Mr Trump and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, and would work with whomever Americans elect on November 8.
Reuters
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