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At 54, Obama Is A Master At Shutting Down Haters
President Barack Obama isn't a regular president — he's a cool president. He proved that long ago with the video he did for BuzzFeed, and he's continued to prove it with his easy wit and the grace with which he shuts down haters. On Tuesday, Obama turned 54, and it was just a regular day as president for him. But Obama's best take downs of haters show that he doesn't always have average days, and his days that are out of the ordinary are pretty damn great. Thanks, Obama. But really.
On Tuesday morning, Obama welcomed Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations Secretary General, to the Oval Office to discuss climate change and the Iran deal, among other things, according to USA Today. Then, he's going to his weekly lunch with Vice President Joe Biden. After, he will attend the first ever White House Demo Day, which will feature entrepreneurs from across the country. Last, he'll meet with the American Jewish community leaders to discuss the Iran deal.
What the heck? Where's the birthday cake and the funny memes of him being silly? Where's the celebration that Obama has made it through another year despite all of the GOP tomfoolery? Hopefully Obama will celebrate his legacy later in some super cool way. As a tribute to his coolness, here are three times he brilliantly shut down haters.
When He Stuck It To Birthers In A Hilarious Way
In 2011, Obama was in the middle of the birthers attack. The birthers are a group of people who believe that Obama isn't actually a U.S. citizen, so have repeatedly asked him to publish his birth certificate as proof. So, during the White House Correspondents' Dinner in 2011, Obama decided to end the birther controversy once and for all, according to a video by the Associated Press:
Just in case there are any lingering questions, tonight, I'm prepared to go a step further. Tonight, for the first time, I am releasing my official birth video. Now, I warn you, no one has seen this footage in 50 years — not even me.
And the video that plays makes Obama's joke the greatest thing ever:
When He Put Snarky Republicans In Their Place
During his State of the Union address in 2015, Obama was describing what his agenda would be for the next two years since he can't run for reelection. Obama said, "I have no more campaigns to run," and Republicans began clapping raucously before he could finish his sentence, according to a video by the UpTake. Obama looked frustrated for a moment before he matter-of-factly said, "I know, because I won both of 'em," followed with a chuckle and a "yeah."
The Time He Silenced The White House Heckler
Obama held an event to celebrate LGBT pride month at the White House in June. During his speech, someone in the back of the room kept yelling at him, "President Obama!" and demanding that he end the deportation of LGBT immigrants, according to Mother Jones. Obama asked her to be quiet a number of times, but the woman persisted. So finally, Obama got serious, according to a video of the event:
Listen, you're in my house! You're not gonna get a good response from me by interrupting me like this. I'm sorry. No, no, no, no, no. Shame on you. You shouldn't be doing this.
Obama had the woman, now known as the White House heckler, removed, and then justified his badassness to Biden and the crowd:
As a general rule, I am just fine with a few hecklers, but not when I'm up in the house. My attitude is that if you're eating the hors d'oeuvres — you know what I'm saying?
And then Biden and the world lost it:
Happy 54th to a pretty cool dude.
Images: Getty Images; Associated Press/YouTube; Metro.co.uk