Signing off. President Barack Obama sent his final tweet as the 44th commander in chief shortly before greeting his successor, Donald Trump, at the White House on Friday, January 20.
“It’s been the honor of my life to serve you. You made me a better leader and a better man. I won’t stop; I’ll be right there with you as a citizen, inspired by your voices of truth and justice, good humor, and love,” POTUS, 55, tweeted to his more than 13 million followers. “I’m still asking you to believe – not in my ability to bring about change, but in yours. I believe in change because I believe in you.”
Following his message, Obama left a letter for President-elect Trump, 70, on the desk of the Oval Office — a tradition passed down through generations of presidents. He then joined First Lady Michelle Obama outside to greet Donald and his wife, Melania Trump. They embraced and Melania gifted Michelle with a large blue Tiffany box.
The couples will have coffee together before they leave for the Capitol for the inauguration at 11:30 a.m. The former Celebrity Apprentice host will be sworn in as the 45th president using two Bibles — one from Abraham Lincoln’s ceremony and another that Donald received from his mother, Mary Anne MacLeod Trump — at noon.
President Obama, who will jet off to Palm Springs after the inauguration, wrote his last letter to the American people on Thursday.
“Throughout these eight years, you have been the source of goodness, resilience, and hope from which I’ve pulled strength,” he wrote. “I’ve seen you, the American people, in all your decency, determination, good humor, and kindness. And in your daily acts of citizenship, I’ve seen our future unfolding. All of us, regardless of party, should throw ourselves into that work — the joyous work of citizenship. Not just when there’s an election, not just when our own narrow interest is at stake, but over the full span of a lifetime. I’ll be right there with you every step of the way.”
He ended his note with a familiar quote, which was used often during his 2008 presidential campaign. “Yes, we can,” he wrote.
