President Donald Trump's repeated criticisms of former President Barack Obama makes him look weak, according to Karl Rove, a former White House senior adviser.
"I think President Trump would be well-advised to stay away from it, because it will quickly become tiresome," Rove said Monday on Fox News' "The O'Reilly Factor."
However, Rove agreed that Trump is correct in his criticism.
"He's right that a lot of what we're facing today is a direct result of failed policies under Barack Obama," said Rove, who was deputy chief of staff during George W. Bush's administration.
"Having said that, though, it doesn't make President Trump look strong. Better for him to focus what time he has with the American people through Twitter or on television appearances or in speeches on looking at what he is doing and carrying it forward."
Americans then would be able to see the differences between the two administrations, Rove said.
"He looks weak when he does this. He looks strong by focusing on the future and what he's doing, not the past," Rove added. "Simply bashing President Obama, that works with the people who were with him already. It doesn't help expand by drawing to his side people who either sat out the election or were mildly disposed to be for Hillary Clinton over him."
Rove has presented political and strategic advice to Trump before. On April 6, he wrote in The Wall Street Journal that the president needs a "course correction" and he needs to move on from spying allegations, and quit "punching down" at the Freedom Caucus.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.