Story highlights Obama said he receives questions "constantly" from fellow leaders about Trump and Cruz's suggestions

He called some of Cruz's immigration proposals "draconian"

Washington (CNN) President Barack Obama said Tuesday that campaign trail rhetoric from leading GOP candidates is damaging the U.S. in the eyes of foreign leaders.

He said he receives questions "constantly" from fellow officials about the "wackier suggestions that are being made" in the race to secure the Republican nomination.

Those proposals include a plan from front-runner Donald Trump that would utilize a federal anti-terror law to require wire transfer companies to check the legal status of immigrants before allowing them to send money home.

Obama, who was speaking from the White House briefing room to deliver remarks about the U.S. economy, called that plan "impractical" with enormous implications. His comments on the state of the 2016 race were in response to reporters' questions.

"The notion that we are going to track every Western Union bit of money that's sent to Mexico -- you know, good luck with that," he said sarcastically, saying that cutting off money to Mexico could damage that country's economy, sending more immigrants to the United States.

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