Obama To Deliver Farewell Address In Chicago

The Chicago Tribune reports:



Ten days before President-elect Donald J. Trump takes office, President Barack Obama will say goodbye from the same city that launched his political career. The presidential farewell will take place on the evening of Jan. 10 at Chicago’s McCormick Place. In an email expected to be sent out Monday morning, Obama said he was taking his cue from George Washington, who “set the precedent for a peaceful, democratic transfer of power” and penned a farewell address in 1796.

“I’m just beginning to write my remarks,” he wrote. “But I’m thinking about them as a chance to say thank you for this amazing journey, to celebrate the ways you’ve changed this country for the better these past eight years, and to offer some thoughts on where we all go from here.” In the email, Obama said the nation has faced a number of challenges in the past eight years, but emerged stronger. The event will be open to the public. According to the White House website, tickets will be handed out on a first come first serve basis at McCormick Place Jan. 7.