Barack Obama has launched a blistering attack on Donald Trump accusing him of treating the presidency like a reality TV show.

The former president said his successor had shown no interest in ‘putting in the work’ and warned Americans ahead of November’s election ‘don’t let them take away your democracy’.

In the most scathing speech yet against the President, Obama told the Democrat convention: “This administration has shown it will tear our democracy down if that’s what it takes to win. So we have to get busy building it up,” he added.

He said he had hoped Trump would get ‘some interest in taking the job seriously … but he never did’.

“For close to four years now, he’s shown no interest in putting in the work; no interest in finding common ground; no interest in using the awesome power of his office to help anyone but himself and his friends; no interest in treating the presidency as anything but one more reality show that he can use to get the attention he craves. Donald Trump hasn’t grown into the job because he can’t.”

Obama added the consequences of this were 170,000 deaths from the coronavirus and millions of jobs while ‘those at the top take in more than ever’..

He said: “Our worst impulses unleashed, our proud reputation around the world badly diminished, and our democratic institutions threatened like never before.”

And while he criticised Trump, he also praised his ‘brother’ and ‘friend’ Joe Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris.

“Joe and Kamala have concrete policies that will turn their vision of a better, fairer, stronger country into reality. But more than anything, what I know about Joe and Kamala is that they actually care about every American. And they care deeply about this democracy.”

Obama then accused the current administration of trying to convince American citizens not to use their vote.

“Well, here’s the point. This president and those in power – those who benefit from keeping things the way they are – they are counting on your cynicism. They know they can’t win you over with their policies. So they’re hoping to make it as hard as possible for you to vote, and to convince you that your vote doesn’t matter.

“That’s how they win. That’s how they get to keep making decisions that affect your life, and the lives of the people you love. That’s how the economy will keep getting skewed to the wealthy and well-connected, how our health systems will let more people fall through the cracks. That’s how a democracy withers, until it’s no democracy at all.

“We can’t let that happen. Do not let them take away your power. Don’t let them take away your democracy.”

While he was speaking Trump was already responding on Twitter, typing in capital letters.

He wrote: “HE SPIED ON MY CAMPAIGN, AND GOT CAUGHT!”

And later tweeted: “WHY DID HE REFUSE TO ENDORSE SLOW JOE UNTIL IT WAS ALL OVER, AND EVEN THEN WAS VERY LATE? WHY DID HE TRY TO GET HIM NOT TO RUN?”

Obama was speaking on the third night of the convention where Harris accepted her nomination for vice-president.

In her speech she spoke about her family and hammered home the Democrat’s message about democracy.

“There’s something happening, all across the country. It’s not about Joe or me. It’s about you. It’s about us," she said.

"People of all ages and colours and creeds who are, yes, taking to the streets, and also persuading our family members, rallying our friends, organising our neighbours, and getting out the vote.”

Obama’s comments come after his wife Michelle delivered her own withering attack on Trump to the convention, saying he was ‘the wrong president for our country’.

The Democrat convention will conclude today.