As U.S. President Barack Obama bid farewell to America on Tuesday, social media users were quick to pay tribute to the outgoing president.
Obama’s nearly hour-long speech in Chicago elicited cheering from his hometown crowd as he looked back at the promises made and broken during his eight years in the White House.
Brief chants of "four more years," were waved away with a smile by the outgoing president who noted that a peaceful transition of power is a key part of democracy in the United States.
But the end of his historic presidency prompted a public outpouring on social media platforms, with the hashtag #ObamaFarewell trending on Twitter.
.@POTUS @BarackObama I love you more than I have space on Twitter to describe. #ObamaFarewell
— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) January 11, 2017
Politicians and activists focused on his impacts in office, such as marriage equality.
.@POTUS has led our country with grace and dignity. Economic turnaround, climate action, marriage equality, and so much more #ObamaFarewell
— Martin O'Malley (@MartinOMalley) January 11, 2017
We're going from a president our kids can look up to, to one we have to explain: don't act or be like him. #ObamaFarewell #GoldenShowers
— Amy Siskind (@Amy_Siskind) January 11, 2017
President Obama is a good man who has made our economy, country, & planet safer - & has given us hope. Thank you, @POTUS. #ObamaFarewell
— Elizabeth Warren (@elizabethforma) January 11, 2017
Donald Trump's looming role as the next president weighed heavy on the minds of some commenting online.
Things feel grim. The next guy is a nightmare. But at least for tonight we can say we're lucky to have had him. #optimism #obamafarewell
— Mike Birbiglia (@birbigs) January 11, 2017
Hope you enjoyed Obama's speech. You won't hear anything so cogent and kind for a long time. So, with complete sincerity: THANKS, OBAMA.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) January 11, 2017
Others focused on the public ending of a seemingly strong bromance between him and the vice-president.
Find someone who loves you as much as Barack Obama loves his country, his family and Joe Biden. #ObamaFarewell
— Alex Goldschmidt (@alexandergold) January 11, 2017
We can watch this GIF of Joe Biden on loop forever. #FarewellAddress https://t.co/B3JqZHgeHP pic.twitter.com/fbt6Kul1SY
— GIPHY (@giphy) January 11, 2017
But some people missed the mark and made the ending of Obama's legacy about themselves.
