Walking out to chants of "yes, we can!" and leaving to chants of "yes, we did!" President Barack Obama gave final remarks at a farewell gathering of staff at Joint Base Andrews before boarding his last flight on the military aircraft that ferries presidents on their travels.
"This has never been about us. It has always been about you. And all the amazing things that happened over these last ten years are really just a testament to you," Obama told the gathered staffers and military. “Our democracy is not the buildings, it’s not the monuments, it’s you — being willing to work and make things better.”
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The Obama family, who will ultimately remain in Washington D.C. while daughter Malia is still in school there, are traveling for a vacation in Palm Springs, California immediately following President Donald Trump’s Inauguration as president.
"This is just a little pit stop," Obama told the crowd to big cheers, in comments seen as a nod to the inauguration of a historically unpopular candidate Obama once described as "unfit to serve."
He added, "This is not a period, this is a comma in the continuing story of building America."
Finishing the brief remarks, Obama thanked the gathered staffers with a similar sentiment to a farewell letter he penned to the American people.
“This has been privilege of my life, I speak for Michelle as well,” he said. “And we look forward to continuing journey with all of you, can't wait to see what you do next. I promise you I'll be right there with you, alright?
