Nerd-In-Chief: Barack Obama Issues Statement on Leonard Nimoy's Death

Leonard Nimoy, known for his role as Spock on the show Star Trek, passed away in his Los Angeles home early on Friday. Among the mourners was U.S. President Barack Obama, who issued a statement from the White House Twitter account.

"Long before being nerdy was cool, there was Leonard Nimoy," Obama wrote in a short statement. "I loved Spock." Obama has long been known as a bit of a nerd. Aside from publically flashing Spock's "live long and prosper" handsign, he used to collect commic books, and has a penchant for new technology. Obama said that he met Nimoy in 2007.

Here's the full statement, in text and tweet:

"Long before being nerdy was cool, there was Leonard Nimoy. Leonard was a lifelong lover of the arts and humanities, a supporter of the sciences, generous with his talent and his time. And of course, Leonard was Spock. Cool, logical, big-eared and level-headed, the center of Star Trek’s optimistic, inclusive vision of humanity’s future.

I loved Spock.

In 2007, I had the chance to meet Leonard in person. It was only logical to greet him with the Vulcan salute, the universal sign for “Live long and prosper.” And after 83 years on this planet – and on his visits to many others – it’s clear Leonard Nimoy did just that. Michelle and I join his family, friends, and countless fans who miss him so dearly today."