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Obama's Back In Public And Hinting At What He Wants To Do Next

Barack Obama's first public appearance since his presidency contained a few hints at what he's planning to do for his next job.

By: Matt Picht

Posted at 5:57 PM, Apr 24, 2017

and last updated 2017-04-24 17:57:47-04

After taking a post-presidential vacation, former President Obama is ready to get back in the public eye.

He started by hosting a panel of young activists and leaders at the University of Chicago to talk about the challenge of getting young people politically active.

"So, uh, what's been going on while I've been gone?" he asked the crowd.

Later he said, "The single most important thing I can do is to help in any way I can to prepare the next generation of leadership to take up the baton."

Obama has already hinted that he wants to work with young people in the future; it's part of the mission statement on his new foundation's website.

And it's a slight divergence from his immediate predecessors — George W. Bush largely withdrew from public activism after he left office, while Bill Clinton focused more on philanthropy.

Coming up on Obama's agenda: accepting an award from the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library, and a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.