White House Portraits Of Barack & Michelle Obama Unveiled

Former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama returned to the White House today for the formal unveiling of their White House portraits. The ceremony is a long-running, warmly regarded tradition in Washington that was halted during the Trump administration. The unveiling took place in front of dozens of friends, family, and staffers. In a statement to supporters, Barack Obama shared:

Presidents often get airbrushed, even take on a mythical status—especially after you’re gone and people forget all the stuff they didn’t like about you. But what you realize sitting behind that desk, and what I want people to remember about Michelle and me, is that presidents and first ladies are human beings, just like everyone else.

I’ve always described the presidency as a relay race. You take the baton from someone, run your leg as hard as you can, then hand it off to someone else. The portraits hanging in the White House chronicle the runners in that race—each of us tasked with trying to bring the country we love closer to its highest aspirations.

When future generations walk through the White House and look at these portraits, I hope they get a better, honest sense of who Michelle and I were. And I hope they leave with a deeper understanding that if we could make it here, they can do remarkable things too.

The ceremony was the first visit to the White House by Mrs. Obama since her husband’s presidency ended in January 2017. And the event was just the second visit for Barack Obama., who last visited the White House in April to celebrate the 12th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act he signed in 2010. Related: Barack Obama Scores At 2022 Creative Arts Emmy Awards Here are just a few moments from the day, followed by the full ceremony. God, I miss these two… https://twitter.com/nowthisnews/status/1567579784238059521 https://twitter.com/nowthisnews/status/1567579946775728128 https://twitter.com/nowthisnews/status/1567583340701618176 https://twitter.com/nowthisnews/status/1567585184303775754 https://youtu.be/3dCppO0RNfI?t=1942