WE MISS YOU

President Obama’s Response to Charlottesville is Now the Most Liked Tweet in History

And deservedly so.


obama
Isa Foltin/Getty Images

As opposed to President Trump’s unhinged and upsetting remarks about the white nationalist violence that occurred in Charlottesville this past weekend, former President Barack Obama displayed humility and compassion in a series of tweets that condemned the events. And one of those tweets has now become the most liked in Twitter history.

Over the weekend, while Trump was saying how “many sides” are responsible for violence at the rally, Obama instead took a poignant quote from former South African president Nelson Mandela and spread it over three tweets. “No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin or his background or his religion,” he tweeted alongside a photo of him greeting a group of children through a window.

He then continued the quote from Mandela in two other tweets: “People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love. . .” And continued, “. . . For love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” Obama’s first tweet, the one that included the photo, has now taken the top honor at Twitter with well over 3 million likes. It has more than 1.2 million retweets, as well.

Joe Biden, the former vice president under Obama, also tweeted his disdain for what occurred in the Virginia town. “No. Not in America. We must be stronger, more determined, and more united than ever. Racism and hate have no place here,” he wrote. “There is only one side.”

The tweet with the most likes previously was from Ariana Grande, who wrote an emotional message about being “broken” and “so, so, sorry” after a deadly terrorist attack occurred at her Manchester concert in May.

Related: Scenes from Donald Trump’s Homecoming Rally: “New York Hates You”

See What’s Trending in W Video:

Scenes from Donald Trump’s Homecoming Rally: “New York Hates You”

Photo by Matt Bernstein for W Magazine.

Photo by Matt Bernstein for W Magazine.

Matt Bernstein

Photo by Matt Bernstein for W Magazine.

Photo by Matt Bernstein for W Magazine.

Photo by Matt Bernstein for W Magazine.

Photo by Matt Bernstein for W Magazine.

Photo by Matt Bernstein for W Magazine.

Photo by Matt Bernstein for W Magazine.

Photo by Matt Bernstein for W Magazine.

Photo by Matt Bernstein for W Magazine.

Photo by Matt Bernstein for W Magazine.

Photo by Matt Bernstein for W Magazine.

Photo by Matt Bernstein for W Magazine.

Photo by Matt Bernstein for W Magazine.

Photo by Matt Bernstein for W Magazine.

Photo by Matt Bernstein for W Magazine.

Photo by Matt Bernstein for W Magazine.

Photo by Matt Bernstein for W Magazine.

Photo by Matt Bernstein for W Magazine.

Photo by Matt Bernstein for W Magazine.

Photo by Matt Bernstein for W Magazine.

Photo by Matt Bernstein for W Magazine.

Photo by Matt Bernstein for W Magazine.

Photo by Matt Bernstein for W Magazine.

Photo by Matt Bernstein for W Magazine.

Photo by Matt Bernstein for W Magazine.

Photo by Matt Bernstein for W Magazine.

Photo by Matt Bernstein for W Magazine.

Photo by Matt Bernstein for W Magazine.

Photo by Matt Bernstein for W Magazine.

1/30