Donald Trump said the fact that he disagrees with the US President on his gun control measures does not mean that his heart is in the wrong place.
Republican presidential front- runner Donald Trump has said he disagrees with Barack Obama on gun control measures but conceded that the US President's tears while talking of steps to tackle gun violence were real.
Mr Trump, a fierce Obama critic, said the fact that he disagrees with the US President on his gun control measures does not mean that his heart is in the wrong place.
"I think he probably means well," Mr Trump was quoted as saying by Fox News. Mr Trump was reacting to Obama's speech on Tuesday announcing new executive actions on guns, including narrowing the so-called "gun-show loophole" on background checks.
Wiping away tears as he spoke of children killed in Connecticut in 2012, Mr Obama unveiled a series of executive actions on guns, including expanding mandatory background checks for some private sales.
The Republican front-runner said what the President gets wrong is "the concept" behind his efforts, not his emotion. Mr Trump said Mr Obama's tears were real.
"I actually think he was sincere, I'll probably go down about 5 points in the polls by saying that, but I think he was sincere," Mr Trump said.
But the billionaire real-estate mogul reiterated his frequent position that the answer to mass shootings is having more people with guns in the room, not fewer.
And, looking ahead to the presidential race, Mr Trump attacked other Democrats and front-runnner Hillary Clinton alongside Mr Obama.
"His idea is just taking chunks and chunks out of the Second Amendment until we don't have a Second Amendment anymore, and people need protection," Mr Trump said.
"Hillary Clinton is, I think, worse than Obama on the issue, frankly, she wants to take everyone's gun away," he said.
Later, Mr Trump said Mr Obama should take action to protect Americans, but through legislation, not executive action.