Washington — Barack Obama closes the book on his presidency on Tuesday night, with a farewell speech in Chicago that will try to lift supporters felled by Donald Trump’s shock victory. Obama’s last trip on Air Force One will be a pilgrimage to his adoptive hometown, where he will address a sell-out crowd not far from where he accepted the presidency eight years ago. Diehard fans — many of them African Americans — have braved Chicago’s frigid winter to collect free tickets, which now sell for upwards of $1,000 on Craigslist. The First Lady Michelle Obama, vice-president Joe Biden and his wife Jill, will go along for the ride. Obama’s cross-country trek would be a sentimental trip down memory lane were it not slap-bang in the middle of a tumultuous presidential handover. Trump has smashed conventions, vowed to efface Obama’s legacy and hurled personal insults left and right. The 2016 election campaign has raised serious questions about the resilience of US democracy. In a virtually un...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.