Trump graded himself during a friendly interview Tuesday morning on Fox & Friends to preview his first address to Congress. After initially hesitating to give himself a grade, he gave himself an “A+” for “effort.” But “in terms of messaging, I would give myself a C or a C+.”

“My messaging isn’t good,” Trump said, in a surprising concession from the messenger-in-chief. He pointed to criticism over hundreds of unfilled jobs in his Administration as an example, saying he was actually saving money by leaving those positions open. “Many of those jobs I don’t want to fill,” he said, before giving himself an “A” in “achievement.”

Trump also blamed former President Barack Obama, without any evidence, for organizing the frequent protests against him. “No, I think he is behind it,” Trump said. “I also think it’s just politics. That’s just the way it is.”

“You never know what’s exactly happening behind the scenes,” Trump added. “I think that President Obama’s behind it because his people are certainly behind it.”