Obama: I wouldn't advise anti-Trump protesters 'to be silent'

During a press conference on Thursday with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, President Obama was asked about his view on anti-Trump protests around the country.

CBS News correspondent Margaret Brennan posed the question, "You've spoken a great deal about this...crude form of nationalism perhaps on the rise. I'm wondering if you'd advise some of the protesters at home to stop demonstrating against the charged rhetoric that has been used by Donald Trump."

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In response, Obama said, "One of the great things about our democracy is that it expresses itself in all sorts of ways and that includes people protesting."

He continued, "I've been the subject of protests during the course of my eight years and I suspect that there's not a president in our history that at some point hasn't been subject to these protests. So I would not advise people who feel strongly or who are concerned about some of the issues that have been raised during the course of the campaign, I wouldn't advise them to be silent."

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Obama went on to add, "What I would advise...is that election matters, voting matters, organizing matters and being informed on the issues matter."

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