The only seven times Barack Obama shed tears during his eight years in office as US president

Barack Obama’s presidency was marked by moments of deep emotion. In 2012, he consoled grieving families after the Sandy Hook school shooting, saying, “We have wept with you.” In 2016, he grew emotional again recalling the tragedy while introducing new gun control measures.

During his 2017 farewell speech in Chicago, Obama teared up when expressing his love for Michelle, Sasha, and Malia, calling his role as their father his proudest achievement. Personal loss also struck during his 2008 campaign, when his grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, died of cancer just a day before the election.

At Senator Daniel Inouye’s funeral, Obama reflected on how the late senator’s legacy as a trailblazing Asian American inspired his own journey. A lighter moment came in 2015 when Aretha Franklin’s powerful performance of “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” at a Carole King tribute moved Obama and went viral.