It’s been almost a year since President Barack Obama exited the White House for some reason (okay, the Constitution limits the Commander-in-Chief to two terms) and left us with that angry orange man in charge. After working incredibly hard for eight years, Obama took some much deserved time off, spending time with family and friends on an extended vacation before returning home to do things like set up his presidential library and work with nonprofit organizations. He’s occasionally made statements on news events and political issues, but amazingly, Obama hadn’t yet submitted to a formal interview. This week, BBC Radio 4 in the U.K. aired the former American president’s first post-presidential broadcast interview. (It was actually taped in September.)
Obviously, the radio service had to find someone of incredibly high stature for an interview of such importance and magnitude, and they didn’t disappoint. Obama was interviewed by his old friend, Prince Harry. (Between this gig and convincing Meghan Markle to marry him, Prince Harry must be some kind of “American whisperer.”)
Up next… Prince Harry interviews @BarackObama on his time in office and hopes for the future #r4today pic.twitter.com/q2cNVNfRvo
— BBC Radio 4 Today (@BBCr4today) December 27, 2017
The Prince Harry / Barack Obama meeting of the minds wasn’t exactly a hard-hitting political interview; the guys are friends, after all, and they’re both generally polite dudes. Prince Harry’s questions were of a more personal and thoughtful nature, geared toward getting the former president to open up about what it feels like to be a president, and, perhaps more importantly, to not be the president anymore. The royal also asked Obama to elaborate on some broad social and cultural issues.
Some highlights:
On how he felt at the end of his presidency:
“The sense that there was a completion, and that we had done the work in a way that preserved our integrity and left us whole and that we hadn’t fundamentally changed, I think was a satisfying feeling. That was mixed with all the work that was still undone and concerns about how the country moves forward. But overall there was a serenity there, more than I would have expected.”
On internet activism:
“One of things we want to do I think is as we’re working with young people to build up platforms for social change. Make sure that they don’t think that just sending out a hashtag in and of itself is bringing about change. It can be a powerful way to raise awareness but then you have to get on the ground and actually do something.”
On Michelle Obama:
She’s “a spectacular, funny, warm person” who was “as good of a First Lady as there has ever been.”
On what he wants to do next:
“The things that are important to me haven’t changed, I still care about about making the United States and the world a place where kids get an education, where people who are willing to work hard are able to find a job that pays a living wage, that we are conserving the amazing resources of our planet so that future generations can enjoy the beauty of this place like we did.”
Notably, Obama never said the word “Trump.”