Last night, President Obama bid farewell to the American people in an emotionally-charged speech, just days before Donald Trump’s inauguration.
And in it he made sure to pay tribute to his First Lady, Michelle. At just the mere mention of her name, the crowds erupted into cheers, before Barack went on to call her his “Girl of the South Side”.
“For the past 25 years, you’ve been not only my wife and mother of my children, but my best friend,” he said, wiping tears from his eyes.
“You took on a role you didn’t ask for and made it your own with grace and grit and style and good humour.”
Michelle, standing alongside him, raised her fist in solidarity – and, later, hugged her husband tightly as they left the stage together.
But everyone’s favourite FLOTUS paid tribute to Obama in her own way, too.
Taking to Twitter shortly after his speech, she shared a sweet throwback snap of herself with Obama and their two daughters, Sasha and Malia, from 2008.
“So proud of the President of the United States and all that we’ve accomplished together,” she wrote.
“[It has been] an incredible journey filled with remarkable people.”
She added: “I love you Barack.”
Earlier this month, Michelle made her own final official speech at the White House, as part of a ceremony for educators honouring the 2017 school counsellor of the year.
Visibly moved, she reminded young people everywhere to remain hopeful in times of diversity and struggle – something which she told them had been the guiding force for her husband’s eight years as president.
“When you encounter obstacles – because I guarantee you that you will and many of you already have – when you are struggling and you start thinking about giving up, I want you to remember something my husband and I have talked about since we first started this journey nearly a decade ago, something that has carried us through every moment in this White House and every moment in our lives, and that is the power of hope,” she said.
“The belief that something better is always possible if you’re willing to work for it and fight for it. It is our fundamental belief in the power of hope that has allowed us to rise above the voice of doubt and division, of anger and fear that we have faced in our own lives and in the life of this country.”
Alluding to concerns and fears that emerged during the divisive presidential election, without ever mentioning Trump by name, Michelle continued: “Our hope that if we work hard enough and believe in ourselves then we can be whatever we dream regardless of the limitations that others may place on us.
“The hope that when people see us for who we truly are, maybe, just maybe, they too will be inspired to rise to their best possible selves.”
Wiping away tears, Michelle finished by saying: “Being your First Lady has been the greatest honour of my life, and I hope I’ve made you proud.”
It’s easy to see why #Michelle2020 began trending on Twitter just hours after Trump’s victory was announced.
However, in a recent interview with Rolling Stone magazine, President Obama said that he did not expect his wife to return to the White House any time soon.
“Michelle will never run for office,” he said. “She is as talented a person as I know. You can see the incredible resonance she has with the American people. But I joke that she's too sensible to want to be in politics.”
Despite this, Obama reassured readers that both he and his wife will continue to work hard for the people of the USA, saying: “I will continue to be very active, and Michelle is going to continue to be very active – and [on] the very thing that brought us here, which is our belief that when you work with people on the ground at a grassroots level, change happens.
“When people feel disconnected from the institutions of government, they can swing back and forth in all sorts of ways.”
Hmm… that’s pretty good news, we guess. But, if you change your mind, Michelle, you’ve always got our vote.
Images: Rex Features
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