The Benefits of Being Good
Sasha Obama Missed President Obama’s Last Speech
January 11, 2017
Last Updated: January 11, 2017
US First Lady Michelle Obama (C) and US President Barack Obama wave to supporters as daughter Malia looks on after the President delivered his farewell address in Chicago, Illinois on Jan. 10, 2017.
Barack Obama closes the book on his presidency, with a farewell speech in Chicago. (NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images)
One of President Barack Obama’s daughters, Sasha, didn’t show up for his outgoing speech in Chicago on Tuesday evening.
Many people noted that 15-year-old Sasha was absent, but her sister, Malia, was seen on the screen and teared up at one point. The Twitter hashtag #whereissasha was trending worldwide for a time.
An official at the White House told Yahoo News that Sasha was in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday night because she was studying for an exam.
President Obama referred to his daughters during the speech.
“Malia,” Obama said, pointing to Malia. “And Sasha, under the strangest of circumstances, you have become two amazing young women.”
First lady Michelle Obama hugs President Barack Obama after his farewell address at McCormick Place in Chicago, Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
First lady Michelle Obama and daughter Malia lean into one another as they listen to President Barack Obama speak during his farewell address at McCormick Place in Chicago, Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
He added: “You are smart and you are beautiful but more importantly, you are kind and you are thoughtful—and you are full of passion. And bore the burden of years in the spotlight so easily.”
“Of all that I have done in my life, I am most proud to be your dad.”
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The president spoke in front of a crowd of 18,000 in his hometown of Chicago.
“Yes, our progress has been uneven,” Obama told the crowd. “The work of democracy has always been hard, contentious and sometimes bloody. For every two steps forward, it often feels we take one step back.”
Obama’s last day in office is Jan. 20—Trump’s Inauguration Day.