See more of The White House by logging into Facebook
Message this Page, learn about upcoming events and more. If you don't have a Facebook account, you can create one to see more of this Page.
See more of The White House by logging into Facebook
Message this Page, learn about upcoming events and more. If you don't have a Facebook account, you can create one to see more of this Page.
Not Now

“The flame first lit here in Athens never died. It was ultimately nurtured by a great Enlightenment. It was fanned by America’s founders, who declared that ‘We, the People’ shall rule; that all men are created equal and endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights...The basic longing to live with dignity, the fundamental desire to have control of our lives and our future, and to want to be a part of determining the course of our communities and our nations—these yearnings are universal. They burn in every human heart.” —President Obama speaking in Athens, Greece, the birthplace of democracy: go.wh.gov/POTUSabroad

Image may contain: text
President Obama
7 hrs

This week, as we continue to look for common ground on keeping our children and communities safe from gun violence, I wanted to share a letter from a woman in P...oplar Bluff, Missouri. Sharron wrote to me in January, after I had announced a series of commonsense steps designed to reduce senseless gun violence in our country. One of those steps was boosting the development of gun safety technology – the kind of innovation that would reduce accidental deaths, the use of stolen guns in criminal activities, and other tragic shootings. It’s the kind of research and development that can lead to advances that can protect our kids consistent with the Second Amendment.

Sharron is a Republican and a gun owner. And like the vast majority of the American people, including the vast majority of gun owners, she recognizes the importance of addressing the epidemic of gun violence in our country -- which we can do through advances in technology. In the greatest, most technologically advanced nation on Earth, we should be using all the tools we have to keep people safe. We make sure children can’t open a bottle of aspirin – why wouldn’t we make sure that they can’t pull a trigger on a gun?

That’s why today, I am proud to announce that the Department of Justice is releasing, for the first time, a detailed description of the minimum technical requirements that law enforcement agencies expect from smart gun technology. This will help make sure that any smart gun technology made available to law enforcement agencies is safe and reliable -- and it's a critical step toward jumpstarting the development of smart gun technology. A group of experts led by DOJ’s National Institute of Justice worked closely with law enforcement officers, firearms manufacturers, innovators, and other stakeholders across the country -- as well as other experts from the Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Defense – to develop these specifications. They’re not mandating that anyone buy or make guns with advanced safety technology – but these specifications chart a path forward for making that an option in the marketplace.

As I’ve said before, we will never be able to stop every act of violence. But if we can take even one action, that saves even one life, we have an obligation to try. If we care about our kids and our country, we can find the courage to come together and take sensible actions to tackle our epidemic of gun violence. If we do, we’ll build a safer and stronger country that’s worthy of the memories of those we’ve lost and the lives we can still save.

See More
The White House was live.
12 hrs

"In all of our communities, I still believe there’s more of what Greeks call philotimo—love, and respect, and kindness for family and community and country, and a sense that we’re all in this together, with obligations to each other. Philotimo—I see it every day and that gives me hope. Because in the end, it is up to us. It's not somebody else's job, it's not somebody else's responsibility, but it's the citizens of our countries and the citizens of the world to bend that arc ...of history towards justice. And that’s what democracy allows us to do. It's why the most important office in any country is not president or prime minister. The most important title is 'citizen'—and in all our nations it will always be our citizens who decide the kind of countries we will be, the ideals that we will reach for, the values that will define us. In this great, imperfect, but necessary system of self-government, power and progress will always come from...'We, the people.'" —President Obama speaking in Athens—the birthplace of democracy—during his final foreign trip: go.wh.gov/POTUSabroad

See More
Posted by The White House
1,465,414 Views
1.4M Views

“So many of our ideas of democracy, so much of our literature and philosophy and science can be traced back to roots right here in Athens. I’m told there is a saying from those ancient times—kalos kai agathos—when someone or something is good and beautiful on the outside, but also good and noble on the inside, in terms of character and in terms of purpose. And I think that’s a fine description of the friendship that exists between the Greek people and the American people.” —President Obama speaking in Greece on his final foreign trip: go.wh.gov/POTUSabroad

Image may contain: 2 people , suit

On the first stop of his final planned foreign trip, President Obama holds a press conference with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras: go.wh.gov/POTUSabroad

Posted by The White House
873,500 Views
873K Views

Stronger bonds between nations sometimes begin with a simple hello. Take a look back at the past 8 years of President Obama greeting people from around the world—and follow along as he heads into his final planned foreign trip to Greece, Germany, and Peru: go.wh.gov/POTUSabroad

Posted by The White House
3,223,337 Views
3.2M Views

“Michelle and I want to offer our deepest condolences to Gwen Ifill’s family and all of you…on her passing. Gwen was a friend of ours. She was an extraordinary journalist. She always kept faith with the fundamental responsibilities of her profession—asking tough questions, holding people in power accountable, and defending a strong and free press that makes our democracy work. I always appreciated Gwen’s reporting, even when I was at the receiving end of one of her tough and ...thorough interviews. Whether she reported from a convention floor or from the field; whether she sat at the debate moderator’s table or at the anchor desk; she not only informed today’s citizens—but she inspired tomorrow’s journalists. She was an especially powerful role model for young women and girls who admired her integrity, her tenacity, and her intellect—and for whom she blazed a trail as one-half of the first all-female anchor team on network news.” —President Obama on the passing of Gwen Ifill

See More
Image may contain: 2 people

President Obama holds a press conference ahead of his trip to Greece, Germany, and Peru: go.wh.gov/hnhgvj

Posted by The White House
1,375,291 Views
1.3M Views

"Be kind, be useful, be fearless." Listen in as President Obama offers some words of wisdom to his final class of White House interns in this edition of #WestWingWeek.

Posted by The White House
1,055,835 Views
1M Views
Posted by Vice President Biden
174,372 Views
174,372 Views
Vice President Biden
November 13 at 8:44am

Servicemen and women are the backbone, the spine, the essence of who we are as Americans. We owe them. #HonorAVet

"Our veterans don’t always go around telling stories of their heroism. So it is up to us to ask, to listen, to tell those stories for them, and to live in our own lives the values for which they were prepared to give theirs. It’s up to us to summon some of the courage and humility our veterans show, and to acknowledge that we can never serve them in quite the same they serve us." —President Obama on honoring our veterans: go.wh.gov/VeteransDay

Posted by The White House
307,513 Views
307K Views

“On Veterans Day, we acknowledge, humbly, that we can never serve our veterans in quite the same that they served us. But we can try. We can practice kindness. We can pay it forward. We can volunteer. We can serve. We can respect one another. We can always get each other’s backs.” —President Obama honoring America’s veterans at Arlington National Cemetery: go.wh.gov/VeteransDay

We owe our veterans our thanks, our respect, and our freedom. Watch First Lady Michelle Obama and the Cleveland Cavaliers surprise a group of veterans who visited the White House yesterday to thank them for their service.

Posted by The White House
1,431,722 Views
1.4M Views

"Whenever the world makes you cynical; whenever you seek true humility and selflessness—look to a veteran." —President Obama honoring America's veterans at Arlington National Cemetery: go.wh.gov/VeteransDay

Posted by The White House
1,470,093 Views
1.4M Views

Today we celebrate 241 years of the U.S. Marine Corps defending our country and the American people. Semper fi!

Image may contain: 3 people , people smiling , indoor

President Obama celebrates the 2016 NBA Championship winner Cleveland Cavaliers: go.wh.gov/D1m4pr

Posted by The White House
748,324 Views
748K Views

"We all go forward, with a presumption of good faith in our fellow citizens—because that presumption of good faith is essential to a vibrant and functioning democracy. That's how this country has moved forward for 240 years. It’s how we’ve pushed boundaries and promoted freedom around the world. That's how we've expanded the rights of our founding to reach all of our citizens. It’s how we have come this far." —President Obama speaking today in the Rose Garden on bringing our country together after the election: go.wh.gov/WJ48yw

Image may contain: 1 person , wedding and outdoor

"We have to remember that we’re actually all on one team…We’re not Democrats first, we’re not Republicans first, we are Americans first. We’re patriots first. We all want what’s best for this country." —President Obama on the election results and the next steps we can take to come together and ensure a peaceful transition of power: go.wh.gov/WJ48yw

Posted by The White House
5,291,154 Views
5.2M Views

"My message to every American is simple: Get out there and vote." —President Obama

Image may contain: 3 people , shoes

It's Election Day. Don't forget to vote!

Image may contain: 1 person , text and outdoor