On Aug. 12 the former president sent out a series of three tweets, and the first one broke the record.
Obama quoted Nelson Mandela, who served as president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. Mandela passed away in 2013. Along with the first tweet Obama included a picture of himself smiling at a group of diverse children.
According to media outlets, the photo was taken in 2011 while Obama was visiting a day care center in Maryland. Pete Souza, former White House photographer, reportedly captured the photo.
Previously, the most-liked tweet came from pop star Ariana Grande. Grande’s tweet was in response to the terrorist attacks in Manchester during her concert.
Twitter confirmed just after midnight on Aug. 16 that Obama’s tweet took the top spot.
Obama’s response strongly contrasted that of President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly blamed “many sides” for last weekend’s violence. The white supremacist rally left one counter-protester dead.
