Concerning the recent controversy surrounding the US president’s comments on the European Union referendum, Obama said he was “not here to fix any votes”.
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“As the first African-American president, [I thought] it might be appropriate to have a bust of Dr. Martin Luther King in my office”, Obama said during a joint press conference with British Prime Minister David Cameron.
It was also meant to counteract statements by Obama that Britain would be disadvantaged if it exited the EU.
“I love Winston Churchill”, Obama said.
Mr Obama praised the close relationship between the U.S. and the United Kingdom, which he said had improved dramatically since the British “burned down my house”, a reference to the torching of the White House in the war of 1812-1814.
“I think we can understand they are reactions to changing times”.
Friendship has also blossomed between the pair during their terms of office, which have run nearly concurrently with Mr Obama describing Mr Cameron as one of his most trusted partners.
He said: “This is really about a lame duck United States president about to move off the stage doing an old British friend a favour”.
Obama arrived in London from Saudi Arabia late Thursday as part of a six-day tour of three nations.
On Saturday, Obama will meet with Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn, and help mark celebrations for the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s death by visiting London’s Globe theatre.
Noting that the US was already working on concluding a free trade agreement with the EU, Obama added that “maybe some point down the line there might be a UK-US trade agreement, but it’s not going to happen any time soon”.
“We have a referendum at the end of June, presidential elections are in November, so whoever it is that will be at the helm of the United States won’t be Barack Obama“.
Obama was likely to be questioned about Britain’s possible exit from the European Union, dubbed Brexit, during Saturday’s town hall.
In an interview to The Daily Telegraph newspaper on Friday, Obama urged the U.K.to remain in the EU, saying the Union was created “from the ashes of war”. As CNSNews.com previously reported, the United Kingdom issued a travel advisory to its British LGBT citizens, warning them to be aware of the new laws in those two states should they travel there.
Out campaigner Boris Johnson, who was criticised on Friday for an attack on Mr Obama described as racist, shrugged off the accusation and continued to claim that Mr Obama was being “hypocritical”.
Military action in Syria is one of the topics that Mr Obama has discussed with the Prime Minister.
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President Obama had lunch on Friday at Windsor Castle with the Queen and Prince Philip before dinner with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry, where he also met Prince George.
