Celebrities react to Obama’s emotional farewell speech on social media

Jenny Proudfoot

And we just can’t cope.

With Obama’s presidency over and Donald Trump now sworn into office, it’s safe to say the start of 2017 has been emotional. Especially so when Obama delivered his farewell address on January 11th.

‘Every day I learned from you,’ Obama informed the audience. ‘You made me a better President and you made me a better man.’ He went on to outline his achievements in office and the importance of democracy.

The most moving part of the speech, however, was his tribute to his incredible wife and first lady, Michelle, who sat on the front row and was given a standing ovation by the crowd.

‘Michelle LaVaughn Robinson, girl of the South Side, for the past 25 years, you’ve been not only my wife and mother of my children, you have been my best friend’ he told her. ‘You took on a role you didn’t ask for and you made it your own with grace and grit and style and good humour. You made the White House a place that belongs to everybody.’

He then went on to pay tribute to his daughters, Malia and Sasha, telling them: ‘Of all that I’ve done in my life I’m most proud to be your dad’, before bringing his speech to an emotional close. Like we weren’t crying enough already!

Barack Obama

‘My fellow Americans, it has been the honour of my life to serve you, I won’t stop; in fact, I will be right there with you, as a citizen, for all my days that remain’ Obama announced. ‘For now, whether you’re young or young at heart, I do have one final ask of you as your President – the same thing I asked when you took a chance on me eight years ago.’

He continued: ‘I am asking you to believe.  Not in my ability to bring about change – but in yours.
I am asking you to hold fast to that faith written into our founding documents; that idea whispered by slaves and abolitionists; that spirit sung by immigrants and homesteaders and those who marched for justice; that creed reaffirmed by those who planted flags from foreign battlefields to the surface of the moon; a creed at the core of every American whose story is not yet written:  Yes We Can. Yes We Did. Yes We Can.’

During Obama’s powerful address and in the hours, days and weeks that followed, many celebrities took to social media to share their pride of America’s 44th President and to honour his legacy.

Some, like US talk show host, Andy Cohen, took the moment to share his favourite memory with the President, playing Plead the Fifth with him at a charity dinner hosted by SJP. Have dinner party guest lists (and decor) ever been better?  We’ve got a serious case of FOMO.

Others however, took to Twitter to say a few words.

How the A-list reacted to Obama’s farewell speech on social media

Ellen DeGeneres

 

Katy Perry

Kerry Washington

Elizabeth Banks

Zendaya

Sharon Stone

Amanda Seyfried

Michelle Williams

Gabrielle Union

Ne-Yo

Cher

Whoopi Goldberg

Shonda Rhimes

Niall Horan

Taylor Schilling

Michelle Obama

 

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