Barack Obama has endorsed a candidate in a closely watched French presidential election. The former president endorsed Emmanuel Macron on Thursday. The liberal Macron is widely backed by the establishment in his run against Marine Le Pen.
"I have admired the campaign that Emmanuel Macron has run," Obama says in a video, which Macron shared Thursday. "He has stood up for liberal values, he put forward a vision for the important role that France plays in Europe and around the world. And he is committed to a better future for the French people. He appeals to people's hopes and not their fears."
Obama added - with a straight face - that he's not planning on getting involved in many more elections now that he is no longer running for office again.