Obamas quietly move on as Trump moves in
AGENCIES
WASHINGTON: It will be up to history to render final judgment on Barack Obama's presidency, but the 44th president got at least one positive assessment as he prepared to leave the White House. Chief Usher Angella Reid jokingly advised Obama that he could have his "security deposit back."
Reid then joined curator William Allman in presenting the president and Michelle Obama with two American flags: one that had flown over the White House on the first day of his presidency and another from his last. Reid also handed over a tall stack of paper towels from the washroom, complete with the gold presidential seal. Obama always joked with guests that they could have as many paper towels as they wanted.
For a couple who embodied change when they entered the White House, the Obamas' last day there was one full on age-old conventions.
In a ceremony filled with private references, the Obamas thanked the residence staff for their service over the past eight years. Then they sat down for coffee and tea with the incoming president and first lady on the State Floor before escorting the Trumps to the US Capitol.
These rituals, as former White House social secretary Ann Stock put it, "are as old as the nation."
Melania Trump presented a blue Tiffany & Co gift box tied with a white satin ribbon to Michelle Obama - who had given Laura Bush a present eight years ago - but there was no aide on hand to take it.
FINAL TWEETS: Promising to be "right there" with the US citizens at every step, Barack Obama in his final tweet as the 44th President of the United States thanked his countrymen, saying serving them was the "honour of his life."
"It's been the honour of my life to serve you. You made me a better leader and a better man," Obama said in a tweet before he left the Oval Office to welcome his successor Donald Trump at the White House.
"I won't stop; I'll be right there with you as a citizen, inspired by your voices of truth and justice, good humour, and love," the 55-year-old said in another tweet.
"As we look forward, I want our first steps to reflect what matters most to you. Share your thoughts with me," he said asking people to connect with him through his personal webpage.
"I'm still asking you to believe - not in my ability to bring about change, but in yours. I believe in change because I believe in you," Obama said.
