President Obama to deliver farewell speech in Chicago on January 10

Since George Washington, U.S. presidents have often delivered a final address to the American people as a way to share both their reflections on their time in office and their outlook on the future of our country.

President Obama plans to formally end his political career in the place where it all began. He will return to the place site of his 2012 re-election celebration...McCormick Place, Chicago on January 10, 2017.



In a statement issued by the White House, the President said:

On Tuesday, January 10, I 'll go home to Chicago to say my grateful farewell to you, even if you can't be there in person. I'm just beginning to write my remarks. 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. 

Since 2009, we've faced our fair share of challenges, and come through them stronger. That's because we have never let go of a belief that has guided us ever since our founding—our conviction that, together, we can change this country for the better. 

So I hope you 'll join me one last time. Because, for me, it's always been about you.
-President Barack Obama