Obama warns ‘democracy on the ballot’ in US election

US President Barack Obama has warned that Donald Trump poses a threat to the US’ entire democratic political system, claiming “democracy itself” is on the ballot in November’s presidential election.

“Civility is on the ballot, tolerance is on the ballot, courtesy is on the ballot, equality is on the ballot, kindness is on the ballot,” Obama said at a fiery campaign event for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton in the swing-state of Ohio. “All the progress we have made in the last eight years is on the ballot. Democracy itself is on the ballot right now.”

As Trump has dropped in the polls in the wake of a damning video tape and growing allegations of sexual misconduct, the Republican presidential nominee has taken to claiming that the media and “global elite” are working against him.

“Hillary Clinton meets in secret with international banks to plot the destruction of US sovereignity in order to enrich these global financial powers, her special interest friends and her donors,” Trump told supports in Florida.

However, Obama rubbished that claim.

“C’mon man!” he said. “This is somebody who…is now suggesting that if the election doesn’t go his way, it’s not because of all the stuff he’s said, but because it’s rigged and it’s a fraud. You don’t start complaining about the refs before the game’s even done. You just play the game, right?”

Obama’s speech came a day after his wife Michelle Obama denounced Trump for “speaking freely and openly about sexually predatory behaviour”, in reference to a leaked 2005 tape in which he had bragged about assaulting women because he is famous.

“I can’t stop thinking about this. It has shaken me to my core in a way I couldn’t have predicted,” the first lady said. “So while I would love nothing more than to pretend that this isn’t happening and come out here and do my normal campaign speech, it would be dishonest and disingenuous to just move onto the next thing like this was all a bad dream. This is not something we can ignore.”