Obama, presidents past and future, pay tribute to Muhammad Ali

(Image credit: AP Photo/John Rooney)

last updated 6 June 2016

"Muhammad Ali was The Greatest. Period," President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama said in a statement Saturday, following Friday's death of the boxing legend. "If you just asked him, he'd tell you ... But what made The Champ the greatest — what truly separated him from everyone else — is that everyone else would tell you pretty much the same thing." Obama said that he has a pair of Ali's boxing gloves and a framed picture of the boxer standing over Sonny Liston, "roaring like a lion," in his private study, in honor of the "man who fought for what was right," even when it cost him. "Muhammad Ali shook up the world," the first couple said. "And the world is better for it. We are all better for it."

The previous two presidents, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, also paid tribute to Ali, with Bush recalling his awarding of Ali the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005 and saying "Americans will always be proud to have been in his corner and called him one of our own."

@laurawbush and I are saddened by the death of Muhammad Ali, The Greatest of All Time. I gave Ali the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005 and wondered aloud how he stayed so pretty throughout so many fights. "It probably had to do with his beautiful soul. He was a fierce fighter and he's a man of peace, just like Odessa and Cassius Clay, Sr., believed their son could be." Muhammad Ali was an iconic and historic figure who thrilled, entertained, influenced, and inspired millions. Americans will always be proud to have been in his corner and called him one of our own. Laura and I send our heartfelt condolences to Muhammad Ali's family and friends.A photo posted by George W. Bush (@georgewbush) on Jun 4, 2016 at 8:36am PDT

Clinton, in a statement with his wife, Hillary, praised Ali's "blend of beauty and grace, speed and strength that may never be matched again." Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump also praised Ali in statements, signaling perhaps the one thing all three presidential contenders agree on.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.