Before jetting off to Palm Springs, California, former President Barack Obama said a quick goodbye to his staff and supporters at Joint Base Andrews. "Michelle and I have really been milking this goodbye thing," Obama joked, before offering some parting thoughts on the progress he saw during his presidency and what the future may hold.
"Our democracy is not the buildings, it's not the monuments. It's you, being willing to work," Obama said, recalling how his supporters "came together, from small towns and big cities" and "decided to believe." He urged his supporters to keep doing this, and promised he'd be right there with them. "This is just a little pit stop," Obama said, just an hour after President Donald Trump was sworn into office. "This is not a period, this is a comma in the continuing story of building America."
Catch a snippet of Obama's final goodbye below. Becca Stanek
Article continues belowThe Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.