President Obama Offers Optimism, Gratitude And Warnings In His Farewell Speech

US President Barack Obama bid farewell on Tuesday night in Chicago as he closes out his presidency. In a speech which moved most of the audience and himself to tears, he said, 'Yes we can. Yes we did. Yes we can,' stirring the nation to be positive as regime changes over to Donald Trump in a few short days.

From normalising links with Cuba to expanding health care coverage for Americans, from the death of Osama bin Laden to marriage equality, Obama touched on the many achievements his Administration made since he took office in January 2009. He also devoted a significant portion of his speech calling on Americans to be proactive when thinking of the country's way forward by expressing optimism in his words: "America is a better, stronger place than it was when we started," he said.

Ending on a thankful note, Obama took time to pay tribute to Vice President Joe Biden and his 'remarkable' staff. He teared up while thanking First Lady Michelle Obama and his daughters.

Watch the highlights of the 50 minute address: