Obama: “So, uh, what’s been going on while I’ve been gone?” pic.twitter.com/Esac4fD5mP
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) April 24, 2017
On Monday, former President Barack Obama (who has been sorely missed) returned to the public stage — for his first event in a jam-packed schedule — at the University of Chicago. His mission? To lead a discussion on youth leadership and civic duty, and he strode onstage to deliver an opening line (as seen in the above clip, with more below) that could have functioned as a kicker: “So, uh, what’s been going on while I’ve been gone?”
The New York Times put pen-to-internet and expressed what was already on many people’s minds. Obama didn’t mention the word “Trump” at all in the words that were yet to come. Instead, Obama delivered a short address (which you can watch below), in which he addressed the importance of looking toward the future (way past 2020) and focusing on what can be changed in the long-term. He aims to prepare the leaders of tomorrow:
“What I’m convinced of is that there are all kinds of issues that I care about, and all kinds of issues that I intend to work on. The single most important thing I can do is to help in anyway I can to prepare the next generation of leadership to take up the baton and to take their own crack at changing the world.”
Obama: The single most important thing I can do is prepare next generation to take their crack at changing the world https://t.co/TEcIgsbkXW
— CNN (@CNN) April 24, 2017
Obama then hosted several promising young people to discuss their hopes for the future. The event is ongoing, and you can watch below.