President Obama Will Speak On Terrorism From A Podium In The Oval Office Tonight

Sunday night President Barack Obama will address the nation from the Oval Office, but standing from a podium.

In a rare moment of his presidency, tonight at 8:00 PM EST President Barack Obama will deliver a formal address from the Oval Office, in the wake of two major mass shootings in just over one week. The New Civil Rights Movement will offer a full video feed of the speech before it begins.

NEW: How To Watch President Barack Obama’s Historic Oval Office Speech On Terrorism Tonight

The President will speak to the nation on terrorism, but in yet another rare moment, he will be doing so not from behind the Resolute Desk, but from behind a podium.

Photo by Pete Souza via Instagram

The President has only addressed the nation in a formal speech from the Oval Office two times before. The first time was on June 15, 2010 to inform the nation on the BP oil spill. The second, on August 31, 2010, to announce the end of U.S. combat operations in Iraq (photo, top).

The choice of the Oval Office in part is to reflect the gravity of the threat America faces, but there’s another reason too.

“The choice of the Oval Office as the location for the address to the nation was partly the result of holiday happenstance: The rest of the White House is decorated for the many parties that Mr. Obama will be hosting this week for his staff, members of Congress, journalists and others,” the New York Times reports.

“Some of Mr. Obama’s media advisers have long believed that sitting behind the desk in the Oval Office, as presidents like Ronald Reagan usually did, is no longer an effective image in a fast-paced, YouTube world. The desk, sitting between the viewer and the president, becomes an obstacle for those watching, a distraction from the president’s message, they said.”

Tonight, as the White House Press Secretary announced, President Obama will talk with the American people about “the steps our government is taking to fulfill his highest priority: keeping the American people safe.”

“The President will provide an update on the ongoing investigation into the tragic attack in San Bernardino. The President will also discuss the broader threat of terrorism, including the nature of the threat, how it has evolved, and how we will defeat it. He will reiterate his firm conviction that ISIL will be destroyed and that the United States must draw upon our values – our unwavering commitment to justice, equality and freedom – to prevail over terrorist groups that use violence to advance a destructive ideology.”

 

Image, top, by The White House via Flickr
Image, insert, by Pete Souza via Instagram