VIDEO: First Look - History to Present THE 44TH PRESIDENT: IN HIS OWN WORDS, 1/15

HISTORY premieres THE 44TH PRESIDENT: IN HIS OWN WORDS, President Barack Obama's first-hand account on his time in office - his successes, his failures, difficulties with Congress, race relations during his tenure and what a Trump Presidency ultimately means to his legacy. In profound and candid new interviews with the POTUS conducted both before and after the 2016 Presidential election, the two-hour special is a unique examination of the Obama presidency from the inside out. "The 44th President: In His Own Words" features President Obama's final and most comprehensive one-on-one television interview in office conducted over nearly two hours of conversation inside the White House and premieres Sunday, January 15 at 9PM ET/PT on HISTORY.

In 2009 Barack Obama was inaugurated as the 44th president of the United States. Celebrated as the first African-American President, Obama campaigned using the slogan "Change We Can Believe In," and for many embodied the promise of what it meant to be an American. But the country he had been elected to lead was facing one of its most difficult times ever with a dire economic crisis looming. Eight years later, as the country prepares for a new President, the legacy of Obama is being considered and debated. While historians will consider the Obama administration for decades to come, ultimately there is no more powerful perspective than that of the President himself.

"The 44th President: In His Own Words" also includes unprecedented access and interviews with members of President Obama's staff, Congress and the press, including: Vice President Joe Biden; Secretary of State John Kerry; Secretary of Treasury Tim Geithner; Attorney General Eric Holder; National Security Advisor Amb. Susan Rice; Chief of Staff Denis McDonough; Senior Advisor Valerie Jarett; Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes; former Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel; former Education Secretary Arne Duncan; Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid; Senator Majority Leader Mitch McConnell; former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor; top journalists and many more.

Additionally, beginning Thursday, January 12, HISTORY.com will feature an extensive eight-part oral history with commentary from President Obama and 23 members of his administration. The digital initiative is an in-depth look at Obama's presidency in his own words and the words of those on his team who lived through it and will cover topics such as: Obamacare, the capture and killing of Bin Laden, foreign policy, climate change, race, President Obama's first 100 days in office and the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, CT.

"The 44th President: In His Own Words" is produced for HISTORY by Texas Crew Productions. David Karabinas, Joshua DuBois and Michelle DuBois serve as executive producers. Russ McCarroll is executive producer for HISTORY. A+E Networks holds worldwide distribution rights for "The 44th President: In His Own Words."

To post a comment, you must register and login.