President Donald Trump sharply rejected former President Barack Obama's suggestion that the world would be better governed if women temporarily took control of every government, calling the idea ridiculous while emphasizing his respect for women.

Trump was asked Saturday about Obama's remarks during an appearance earlier in the week at Salem State University in Massachusetts. Obama made the comments Sept. 21 during a wide-ranging discussion with presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin.

Obama said he had "sometimes fantasized" about what would happen if women were placed in charge of governments around the world for two years.

"If you put women in charge of every government for like two years and then just kind of saw, all right, how are things going, I have a strong belief that things would — they wouldn't be perfect, but they'd be better," Obama said.

"I'm confident about that," he added.

Trump dismissed the premise when questioned about Obama's remarks, arguing that the former president's sweeping claim goes too far in suggesting that a person's gender determines whether a government will be better run.

"It's ridiculous. I love women. I think they're great, but what a ridiculous statement that is, right?" Trump said. "Even you would say that."

Trump's response placed the focus on Obama's broad generalization rather than accepting the former president's assumption that changing the gender of political leaders worldwide would automatically produce better results.

Obama's comments are also not entirely new. He made a similar argument during a 2019 appearance in Singapore, saying he believed that putting women in charge of every country for two years would improve living standards and other outcomes.

The renewed comments come as Obama continues to speak publicly about American politics and leadership since leaving the White House. His recent increase in public appearances coincide with Democrat efforts to raise funds and rally support for the party’s candidates ahead of the competitive midterm elections.

During his Salem State appearance, he called for greater opportunities for younger generations and criticized what he described as older leaders remaining in positions of power. Obama also used the event to criticize Trump and other Republicans, including over the administration's treatment of news organizations who’s coverage presented the White House unfavorably. He argued that Republicans should more forcefully defend press freedoms.

Trump and Obama have frequently clashed since Trump entered national politics and won the presidency in 2016. Their latest disagreement centers Obama's sweeping claim about political leadership against Trump's rejection of the idea that governments can be judged primarily by whether they are led by men or women.

While Obama expressed confidence that female-led governments would perform better, Trump declined to accept that premise, instead pointing to the weakness of making such a universal claim about leadership based on gender instead favoring meritocracy and proven results.