President
Barack Obama has come forward to release a personal statement regarding the untimely death of
Michael Jackson.
Last week, his press secretary related the President’s condolences to the Jackson family, but today Obama spoke with the
Associated Press about the pop icon.
Obama told the
AP, "I'm glad to see that he is being remembered primarily for the great joy that he brought to a lot of people through his extraordinary gifts as an entertainer.”
The President went on to say, "I still have all his stuff on my iPod."
Obama added, "I think that Michael Jackson will go down in history as one of our greatest entertainers. His brilliance as a performance also was paired with a tragic and in many ways, sad personal life."
Obama said he stands by his decision to wait to make a statement about Michael’s death, rather than do it on the day he died.
There’s been a lot of controversy in the media, especially in the African American news outlets, that shame Obama for not speaking about the death. But Obama told AP White House correspondent Jennifer Loven: "Look, you're the first person who's actually asked me about it."
He also reportedly sent a letter of condolence to the Jackson family, the contents of which have not been disclosed.
We think this is more than enough. Obama isn’t required to make statements about celebrities who have passed away. The fact that he took the time to acknowledge the family with not only a letter but also a press conference, shows a lot about his character.
