OBAMA BIDS ADIEU TO THE WORLD STAGE

Globalization

Obama said an increasingly borderless world has brought "historic gains in prosperity, education and health," but acknowledged globalization had both winners and losers. "When jobs and capital can move across borders, when workers have less leverage, when wealthy corporations seem to be playing by a different set of rules, then workers and communities can be hit especially hard," he said. "That can reverberate through our politics. That's why I firmly believe one of our greatest challenges in the years ahead across our nations and within them will be to make sure that the benefits of the global economy are shared."

President Trump

He asked the world to treat the brash billionaire as he himself vowed to do: "Wait and see." He said Trump's presidency would likely be far different from his candidacy. "Once you're in the Oval Office, once you begin interacting with world leaders, once you see the complexities of the issues, that has a way of shaping your thinking," Obama said.

Syria

The brutal war in Syria has been the most difficult foreign policy challenge of Obama's eight years in the White House. He defended his decision not to invade the country, but warned no end to the bloodshed was in sight. "I am not optimistic about the short term prospects in Syria," he said, blaming Russian and Iranian support for the Bashar al-Assad regime.

Legacy

Obama voiced regret that, despite high approval ratings, he was stymied on issues like gun control, a minimum wage increase and infrastructure spending. But he defended the values of his presidency. "The touchstone is what's good for the American people. At the end of the day and at the end of eight years, I can look back and say that I consistently did what I thought was best. Doesn't mean you don't make mistakes. But it means you're being true to your oath and the commitments you made to the people who elected you."

Life after presidency

Obama was clear about his first priority for post-presidential life: "Take (First Lady) Michelle on vacation." The president said he wants to "get some rest, spend time with my girls and do some writing, do some thinking." He does not plan to immediately wade back into politics. "I want to be respectful of the office and give the president-elect an opportunity to put forward his platform," he said.

But Obama didn't rule it out altogether. "As an American citizen who cares deeply about our country, if there's specifics that have less to do with some proposal or battle but goes to core questions about our values and our ideals, and if I think that it's necessary or helpful for me to defend those ideals then I'll examine it when it comes," he said.