Damon Weaver, who attracted national attention in 2009 when he became the youngest person to have an interview with a sitting president, died at the age of 23. When Weaver was only 11 years old he was selected to meet and interview then-President Barack Obama. Weaver died May 1 and his cause of death has not been disclosed. His sister, Candace Hardy, said he died of natural causes. Hardy told WPTV-TV that she got a text message from her brother that he was in the hospital and by the time she went to see him he had already died. His funeral took place Saturday.
Weaver interviewed Obama for 10 minutes in the Diplomatic Room on Aug. 13, 2009 and largely centered his questions around education. He also asked if Obama could make school lunches better. “I remember when I used to get school lunches, sometimes they didn’t taste so good, I’ve got to admit,” Obama said. “We are actually seeing if we can work to at least make school lunches healthier. Because a lot of school lunches, there’s a lot of french fries, pizzas, tater tots. All kinds of stuff that isn’t a well-balanced meal.” Weaver had his own thoughts on the matter: “I suggest that we have French frieos and mangos every day for lunch.” Wever also asked Obama to be his “homeboy,” pointing out that then-Vice President Joe Biden had already agreed. “Absolutely,” Obama said. Weaver had interviewed Biden a year earlier, in 2008, when he was a senator. He also interviewed Oprah Winfrey, Samuel L. Jackson, and Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade.
Weaver graduated from Royal Palm Beach High School in 2016 and then graduated from Albany State University in 2020, according to his Facebook page. His goal was to become a sports journalist covering the NFL, his sister told the Palm Beach Post. “He was loved by everyone,” she said. “No matter if it was a stranger, his mom or a family member, he was just a ball of light with so much energy. He was always positive, always had a smile on a face and he was always a joy to be around. He left an impact on a lot of people.”
