Former President Barack Obama refrained from jabs at his successor, Donald Trump, in his first public remarks post-presidency on Monday when speaking to young leaders at the University of Chicago.
Obama instead said the most important thing he can do now is to “prepare the next generation of leadership.” Obama was in good spirits, joking about his age and laughing with many of the young speakers.
“This community taught me that ordinary people, when working together, can do extraordinary things,” Obama said during his opening remarks. “This community taught me that everybody has a story to tell that is important.”
Obama has spent three months on vacation since Trump’s Inauguration Day and has started working on a memoir.
He also spent time on Monday discussing social media’s role in politics while refraining from specifically mentioning Trump despite his regular use of Twitter.
“We’ve become a more individualistic society,” Obama said. “I think a lot of us who have been in politics for a while do see a change from 20 years ago, certainly 30 years ago, where it used to be everyone kind of had the same information.”
Obama continued: “If this generation is getting all their information through their phones, then you really don’t have to confront different opinions.”
Meanwhile, Trump took to Twitter to bash Obamacare while the former president was discussing how smart phones have created an individualistic society.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/856557986474491904
Political Twitter also quickly expressed feelings on Obama’s return to the public eye:
Me listening to President Obama speak knowing he won't be getting on AF1 after this to head back to the WH. pic.twitter.com/1W785CfQtU
— a Beyvangelist ?? (@ElysianHue) April 24, 2017
Seeing "President Obama" trending just blessed my whole life.
— lil uzi vaccinated (@jensugi) April 24, 2017
What year is it? pic.twitter.com/EvJmD3gZfx
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) April 24, 2017
It's so strange watching and listening to President Obama right now. It feels like ages ago that this sense of calm I feel was mundane.
— Joy-Ann (Pro-Democracy) Reid ? (@JoyAnnReid) April 24, 2017
So refreshing to hear former President Obama speak in Chicago. Deep thoughts, complete sentences!
— nan k. wiggins (@nan_wiggins) April 24, 2017
What I miss in the absence of President Obama is his intelligence. Even when I disagreed, I knew intelligence was applied to the dilemma.
— Dan Therriault (@dantherriault) April 24, 2017
Love me some president Obama, amazing cohesive sentences, no repeating the same word.
— Kelly Y (@monet610) April 24, 2017
Man listening to President Obama speak & then listening to the current clown man is literally like watching an adult & a child.
— TNT (@TeraThomas) April 24, 2017
https://twitter.com/Orokassu/status/856566329486213127
I miss Barack Obama being at the helm of the country. Times were…. better. #Obama
— Sheen?? (@TheSheen_) April 24, 2017
https://twitter.com/S1PPi/status/856566242332868608
Check out the video above.