President Obama of Donald Trump, 'This is not a reality show'

WASHINGTON -- In his first remarks about Donald Trump's presumptive nominee status, President Barack Obama had a message for the media: "This is not entertainment. This is not a reality show."

Obama urged reporters to take Trump seriously and vet him thoroughly. At a brief news conference at the White House on Friday, Obama told reporters to scrutinize the candidates closely, to fact check their policies and to hold them to their past statements.

"Emphasizing the spectacle and the circus, that's not something we can afford," he said.

Obama added that if reporters do their job and people are well informed, he is confident our democracy will work.

WEB EXTRA: Click on the video player above to watch President Obama's full answer

Asked about Trump's taco bowl tweet Thursday saying "I love Hispanics," Obama said he wouldn't comment on Trump's Twitter feed.