President Barack Obama took the podium at his final press conference on ChinaWednesday and offered the media some words of encouragement: Don't change and don't back down.
"You're not supposed to be sycophants," Obama said. "You're supposed to be skeptics."
The president's words carry a particular weight just two days before President-elect Donald Trump is scheduled to be sworn in. Trump has escalated his rhetoric against the media recently, even going as far as calling CNN "fake news" during a press conference in response to a request from one of CNN's journalists.
The battle between Trump and the media has moved beyond words. The Trump campaign has telegraphed that it may do a way with a variety of the usual arrangements between the White House and journalists, including the future of press conferences and their location.
Obama's praise for the media was immediately seen as him referencing Trump's anti-media practices and rhetoric.
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Obama opened the press conference with a joke, referencing the tan suit he wore back in October 2014 that caused a stir.
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Obama also sent well wishes to former president George H.W. Bush and Barbara Bush, both of whom were recently hospitalized.
He then spent several minutes talking about his own experiences with the media, which at times have been contentious. Journalists having claimed Obama had been among the least transparent presidents. His administration has also aggressively pursued investigations into those who leaked information to the press.
The President finished with statements that seemed squarely aimed at the near future, particularly with how the spread of misinformation and confusion have flourished.
"It doesn't work if we don't have a well-informed citizenry and you are the conduit," Obama said. "We need you to establish a baseline of facts and evidence to use for a starting point for debates that ultimately lead to progress."
After Obama's statement, he took a last round of questions on a variety of topics including the granting of clemency to Chelsea Manning, Russia's aggression and the efforts of Trump and Republican politicians to repeal Obamacare.
As for closing words, Obama left the press with some kind, if not ominous words: "Good luck."
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