Former First Lady Michelle Obama opens up about the realities of raising daughters Malia and Sasha in the White House.
As many wonder who in the Democratic Party will emerge as the frontrunner for the next presidential race, some have fantasized about a world in which it’s Michelle Obama. However, the former first lady has a resolute answer to whether she’ll ever consider running: No.
Obama recently appeared on Kylie Kelce’s “Not Gonna Lie ” podcast and opened up about her political ambitions (or lack thereof) and motherhood.
When asked whether the famous matriarch and wife of former President Barack Obama would attempt to seek a turn in the Oval Office, she admitted she was not considering it, largely because of the two children she shares with Barack.
“I wanted them to have the freedom of not having the eyes of the world on them,” she told host Kelce, as she so also elaborated on how complicated it was to raise two children through their teen years in the White House.
“And so when people ask me would I ever run, the answer is no,” she continued. “If you ask me that, then you have absolutely no idea the sacrifice that your kids make when your parents are in that role.”
She added that she’s “not interested in politics in that way.”
“The thought of, like, putting my girls back into that spotlight when they are just now establishing themselves. I think we’ve done enough … they’ve already served their time,” said Michelle.
Michelle shares daughters Malia, 26, and Sasha, 23, with Barack. The family of four spent eight years in the White House from January 2009 to January 2017 as the girls grew up before the world’s eyes. Michelle told Kelce her daughters technically lived in the White House longer than they’ve lived anywhere. Since leaving, Malia graduated from Harvard in 2021 and has been pursuing a career in film. Meanwhile, after graduating from the University of Southern California in 2023, Sasha recently returned to the school to continue her studies.
Speaking of her girls the author also confessed that, at one point, there was talk of a third child. While Barack was a proponent of expanding their family of four, Michelle had reservations.
“I was like, I think I’ve been lucky with these two,” Michelle said. “Barack was like, ‘We should have a third,’ and I was like, ‘Dude,’” she said, adding, “You know, I’m thinking we’re gonna get a crazy one.”
Elsewhere in the conversation, she discussed the merits of her husband being a “girl dad” with Kelce, who is in the same boat, with four young daughters in their family.
“That’s because that’s what your husband deserved,” Michelle quipped. “That’s what I told Barack, the karma was like, ‘Dude, you need a bunch of women in your life to smack you around.’”
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