Barack Obama’s biggest regret: Former US president speaks out about his low point – and why it still has consequences years on from his time in office
- Obama regretted not being able to overhaul gun laws
- He said Sandy Hook massacre was his ‘darkest day’ in office
Barack Obama has revealed that not being able to overhaul gun laws in the wake of one of America’s most deadly school shooting was one of his biggest regrets and low points from his time in office.
The former US President opened up on the need for gun control following the Sandy Hook massacre in 2012 where 26 people were killed, 20 of whom were children, while speaking at a leadership event in Sydney on Tuesday night.
‘That was the closest I came during my years in office to feeling very cynical about the capacity of politics, of people to join together to do what is obvious,’ he told the crowd at the International Convention Centre.
‘You run your race as best you can and you try to make a good handover and you have to take satisfaction from feeling as if you did the very best with the time allotted to you.
Barack Obama (pictured in Sydney) has revealed that not being able to overhaul gun laws in the wake of America’s most deadly school shooting was one of his biggest regrets and low points from his time in office
‘I think not changing the gun laws was an example of me trying very hard … but we could not budge Congress.’
Mr Obama has earlier said the day of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was the ‘darkest day’ of his presidency, and added it was the only time he saw members of the Secret Service cry.
His comments came just a day after another devastating shooting in the US where three children and three staff members at Nashville’s The Covenant School were killed.
The shooter, Audrey Hale, an ex-student at the school, was shot dead by police.
More to come
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