Obama Praises Chicago for Hosting NATO Summit President Barack Obama has praised Chicago officials and residents for their handling of the NATO summit. Obama spoke about the city during a news conference Monday afternoon, saying his hometown "proved that this world-class city knows how to put on a world-class event." Obama said he "could not be prouder to welcome people from around the world" to Chicago, and that the city showed "extraordinary hospitality" during the two-day event. He also said he lost track of the number of world leaders and their delegations who remarked to him on how beautiful Chicago is.