President Obama wipes his eye as he speaks during a previously unannounced appearance in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House on December 14, 2012 in Washington, DC. Obama spoke following the shooting in a Connecticut Elementary School which left at least 27 people dead.
There have been many dramatic and emotional moments at the White House — but few have been as wrenching as this.
President Obama fought to keep his composure and repeatedly wiped away tears as he addressed the nation about the horror inside a Connecticut grade school.
“Our hearts are broken today,” he said.
He spoke not just as a President, but as a father.
“I know there’s not a parent in America who doesn’t feel the same overwhelming grief that I do,” Obama said. “The majority of those who died today were children — beautiful little kids between the ages of 5 and 10 years old.”
The President then stopped and remained silent for a full 12 seconds to compose himself.
When he summoned the strength to speak again, he lamented the bright futures that had been abruptly lost.
“They had their entire lives ahead of them — birthdays, graduations, weddings, kids of their own,” he said.
And then he stopped again. And wiped an eye.
The emotional, four-minute address showcased a side of Obama the public has rarely seen.
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