(CNN)President Barack Obama sharply criticized Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump for saying earlier this week that the black community is in the worst shape its "ever been in before."

"I think even most 8-year-olds will tell you that whole slavery thing wasn't very good for black people," Obama told ABC News in an interview that aired Friday on "Good Morning America." "Jim Crow wasn't very good for black people. What we have to do is use our history to propel us to make even more progress in the future."

Trump made the comments Tuesday at a Kenansville, North Carolina, rally Tuesday with a mostly white audience.

"We're going to rebuild our inner cities because our African-American communities are absolutely in the worst shape that they've ever been in before. Ever. Ever. Ever," Trump said.