The White House on Tuesday doubled down its criticism of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, calling him not a role model for Americans in any way.
When asked whether U.S. President Barack Obama, who had called Trump "unfit" for presidency, believed that the New York billionaire developer was a role model in a broader way, given his success through his career, White House spokesman Josh Earnest answered in the negative.
"There are hundreds of millions of Americans that by the way they live their lives every day are role models for our kids," said Earnest here at the daily briefing.
"But based on the president's deep concern about the rhetoric of the Republican nominee, I feel confident in telling you that he would not be comfortable with describing the nominee in that way," he said.
The question of whether Trump could be a role model was raised after Republican Senator Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire on Monday reversed herself after calling Trump a role model for kids.
Ayotte, who had so far refused to officially endorse Trump, later on Monday said she "misspoke" and believed that neither Trump nor Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton "have set a good example" and she would not hold up either one as role models for kids.
Trump first drew widespread criticism last June when he said in the presidential announcement speech that Mexico was sending "rapists" and drug dealers to the United States. Since then, he had repeatedly vowed, if elected president, to deport about 11 million undocumented immigrants in the country.
In another outburst of emotional remarks, Trump called for a "total and complete" ban on Muslims entering the United States in the wake of the Paris terrorist attacks in November 2015.
Since then, the targets of Trump's insults expanded to include women, African-American protesters, and family members of rivals.
According to a list compiled by The New York Times, Trump had insulted on Twitter 210 individuals, places and things since declaring his presidential candidacy last June.
The Times list did not include targets of Trump's insults broadcasted on cable.
