President Obama’s Farewell Tweet Sets New Retweet Record

President Barack Obama is leaving office with a new Twitter record. 

A tweet sent last night from his farewell address has become his most retweeted since he took office eight years ago. The message, in which Obama thanks the American people, has reached 526,000 retweets in about 13 hours. 

The tweet reads: “Thank you for everything. My last ask is the same as my first. I’m asking you to believe — not in my ability to create change, but in yours.”

Previously, his top tweet based on retweets was one sent in June 2015 about the Supreme Court decision to legalize gay marriage. It has 425,000 retweets. 

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Obama has been using the official @POTUS twitter handle, which has 13.3 million followers, since it was created in May 2015 (see below for his first tweet from that account). The White House has said that it will transition the @POTUS account to President-Elect Donald Trump after he is sworn in. 

Here are Obama’s top five tweets by number of retweets: 

Thank you for everything. My last ask is the same as my first. I’m asking you to believe—not in my ability to create change, but in yours.

— President Obama (@POTUS) January 11, 2017

Today is a big step in our march toward equality. Gay and lesbian couples now have the right to marry, just like anyone else. #LoveWins

— President Obama (@POTUS) June 26, 2015

Cool clock, Ahmed. Want to bring it to the White House? We should inspire more kids like you to like science. It’s what makes America great.

— President Obama (@POTUS) September 16, 2015

Hello, Twitter! It’s Barack. Really! Six years in, they’re finally giving me my own account.

— President Obama (@POTUS) May 18, 2015

We could eliminate tuition at every public college and university in America with the $80 billion we spend each year on incarcerations.

— President Obama (@POTUS) July 14, 2015