President Barack Obama became the first sitting U.S. president to visit the country of Laos this week. While there, he attempted to make amends for the blood shed during the Vietnam War and offered a glimpse into what his life may look like after he leaves the White House.
The United States dropped more than 2 million tons of bombs on Laos in the 1970s, making it the most heavily bombed country per capita in human history.
Obama announced his plan to double the amount of aid the U.S. gives to Laos to $30 million per year for three years.
After reiterating his commitment to moving forward with the Trans-Pacific Partnership, he pivoted to his own post-presidential future.
“In my own work as an ex-president, I’m hoping to continue working with young people through my presidential center,” Obama said during a Young Southeast Asian Leadership Initiative town hall in Luang Prabang. “My wife, I think, will continue to work on nutrition issues, but you know, she’s going to probably be more involved internationally as well as domestically more than she has been, now that our girls are getting older.”
