UNITED STATES (REUTERS) - President Barack Obama opened his final press conference by thanking the press for doing its work.

He said: "And having you in this building has made this place work better."

A perceived dig at recent reports Trump's team considered moving the press corps out of the White House.

On Wednesday (Dec 18) the president defending his legacy and the choices his administration made, with advice for the incoming president.

President Obama said: "This is a job of such magnitude that you can't do it by yourself. You are enormously reliant on a team. If you're gonna make big shifts on policy, make sure you thought it through."

As he did in his farewell address, the president describing both his hopes and fears for the future, specifically threats to democracy.

President Obama said:
"We are the only country in the advanced world that makes it harder to vote rather than easier…This whole notion of voting fraud, this is something that has constantly been disproved. This is fake news!"

The president also defending his decision to pardon Chelsea Manning, the Private First Class who leaked classified information.

The US president said: "The sentence that she received was very disproportionate relative to what other leakers had received."

Despite the fact the new administration has promised to undo most of his agenda, Obama tried to end his eight years in office the way it began - on his message of hope.

"I believe in this country. I believe in the American people. I believe that people are more good than bad…At my core, I think we're gonna be ok. We just have to fight for it, work for it and not take it for granted."

As he left, he said, "good luck!" to the White House Press Corps.

Given the 45th president's relationship with the media thus far, chances are…they're gonna need it.