Wouldn’t he have been roundly criticized?

To say the least.

WSJ’s Best of the Web asks and answers.

Question and Answer—IV

• “When Does Barack Obama Leave the White House? What Will He Do Next and Where Will He Live?”—headline, Daily Express (London), Nov. 1, 2016
• “Comment of the Day: ‘He Will Live Forever in Our Memories’ ”—headline, Chicago Sun Times website, Nov. 29, 2013

You just have to go looking.