Revealing President Obama's farewell speech before G-hour

President Barack Obama will deliver a farewell speech before leaving the White House at 8pm on January 10, US time (about 9am on January 11, Vietnam time) in Chicago. This event attracts the attention of both domestic and international media, as well as the public who loves the American leader.

President Barack Obama (Photo: Getty)

What will President Obama say?

“This is not a victory speech. The president’s goal is to motivate people to come together and fight for their democracy. You can’t just sit back and wait for something to fall into your lap. You have to work hard to get it. And it’s not easy because you have to be very deliberate and very determined,” said Valerie Jarrett, one of President Obama’s longest-serving aides.

“The guiding principle throughout my career has been the idea that only when ordinary people can join together and join hands in a collective effort will things change for the better,” President Obama said on November 7.

President Obama's Hometown, Chicago

McCormick Place, the largest convention center in North America in Chicago, will be the venue for President Obama's remarkable farewell speech before leaving the White House. The area is near Grant Park - where Mr. Obama gave his victory speech in the 2008 election. White House communications director Jen Psaki said a few months ago, President Obama decided to break with tradition and deliver his farewell speech elsewhere, instead of in Washington, DC.

Cold weather and hot tickets

All the free tickets to President Obama’s special event were sold out. Many people had to stand outside in subzero temperatures at the McCormick Center for hours to get a chance to hear President Obama speak. Some tickets were even smuggled out and sold for $5,000.

The content of the speech is confidential.

White House press secretary Josh Earnest revealed that President Obama edited his speech until he was satisfied. The outgoing US president wrote many passages by hand, or dictated some to others and checked them later. Mr Obama insisted that his speech would be “shorter and different in style” than a State of the Union address.

Last trip as president

Mr. Earnest said this trip to Chicago will likely be President Obama's last trip on Air Force One to an area outside Washington as president. According to the White House press secretary, Mr. Obama's speech will have some notable points compared to other normal speeches.

“The President will deliver a forward-looking speech that will briefly review the important progress our country has made over the past eight years. But the speech will go deeper, and the President will spend more time talking about what he believes is necessary to help us meet the challenges that lie ahead.”

According to Dan Tri