HONOLULU: U.S. President Barack Obama said in an interview broadcast on Monday that he would have won most Americans` support if he had been able to run against Donald Trump for a third term.


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"No way!" Trump countered in a tweet, citing as liabilities U.S. companies taking jobs overseas, the fight against Islamic State militants and Obama`s signature healthcare law.


Barred by the U.S. Constitution from seeking a third four-year-term, the president told his former adviser David Axelrod in a podcast that Americans would have backed Obama`s vision.


"I`m confident that if I had run again and articulated it, I think I could`ve mobilized a majority of the American people to rally behind it," Obama said, referring to his 2008 campaign message of hope and change.


A wealthy businessman, the Republican Trump will assume his first public office when he succeeds Obama on Jan. 20. He defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton on Nov. 8 with a promise to clean up Washington.


In a tweet, Clinton spokesman Brian Fallon said Obama would have beaten Trump and Clinton would have won if not for an FBI statement shortly before the election disclosing new material on Clinton`s email practices as secretary of state.


Clinton`s aides have said FBI Director James Comey`s announcement, which led to no charges, swung the election, a charge Trump`s team has dismissed.


Obama said Clinton "performed wonderfully under really tough circumstances." He said she focused on Trump`s flaws and could have argued more that the Democratic Party agenda helped working people.


Trump garnered more than 270 of the 538 state-by-state electoral votes to win the presidency. Clinton won 48.2 percent of the popular vote compared with 46.1 percent for Trump, according to the Associated Press.