Obama’s farewell address: US President Barack Obama gave his farewell speech (runtime 51:25) during the week in front of a crowd of supporters in his hometown of Chicago, Illinois, continuing a tradition set in 1796 when George Washington addressed the American people for the last time as president. Obama has described the event as “a chance to say thank you for this amazing journey,” to celebrate the ways the country has changed and “to offer some thoughts on where we all go from here.” CBS News said seven moments stood out in the speech, including how he wants his legacy to be defined, his honoring of the tradition of peaceful transition of power, and his comments about his family and VP Joe Biden. Mentioning Atticus Finch in the speech, The Atlantic says, “evoked a flawed American icon—perhaps to remind America of the best version of itself.” Bill Whalen wrote for Fox News saying the speech wasn’t so much “farewell” as “to be continued” and that Obama used it to “bask in in idolatry rather than say much that will stand the test of time” .