Michelle Obama gets candid about protecting her teen daughters from media scrutiny while in White House
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Michelle Obama has revealed the intense pressure of raising her daughters, Malia and Sasha, in the White House, admitting that she constantly worried they would end up making headlines for simply being normal teenagers.
Speaking on the 'Not Gonna Lie with Kylie Kelce' podcast, the former first lady shared how difficult it was to give her daughters freedom while knowing they were always being watched, Page Six reported.
Michelle Obama opens up about raising her daughters in the White House
“I wanted to give my girls enough rope to live and be normal teenagers, but I was also worrying about them turning up on Page Six because they were doing what normal kids would do,” Michelle Obama, 61, admitted.
When Barack Obama was elected in 2008, Malia was just 10, and Sasha was 7. By the time he left office in 2017 after serving two terms, they were 18 and 15 - critical years of growth which the young girls spent entirely under a microscope.
Michelle admitted she sometimes felt it might have been simpler if Malia and Sasha had been younger during their father’s presidency, as her biggest concern would have been them scribbling on the walls. But since they were teenagers, the 'Becoming' author explained, she had to navigate more complex worries, like prom, teaching them to drive, and questioning whether there would be alcohol at the parties they attended.
Michelle noted that unlike other first children from previous administrations, Malia and Sasha’s lives were made even more complicated by the rise of social media and near-constant surveillance.
“We’d have to build a real community of trust around them because I didn’t want them sitting home on Saturday night not understanding what it was like to be out and have a life before they went to college,” she explained.
Michelle recalled her initial concerns upon moving into the White House: “How do I make sure that they’re normal and ready when this is all over?'”
She also revealed a nerve-wracking moment when Sasha was involved in a minor car accident after another driver hit her vehicle, an incident that, fortunately, didn’t attract media attention.
Reflecting on their time in the spotlight, Michelle admitted, “I was so glad when we got out of the White House. It was just I wanted them to have the freedom of not having the eyes of the world on them. They still are dealing with paparazzi and being who they are and trying to carve out their own identity, but they got a lot of practice in those years in the White House.”
Michelle Obama explains why she will never run for president
Michelle Obama explained that her decision to never run for the President of the United States is largely based on protecting her daughters, Malia (26) and Sasha (23), from the intense public scrutiny that comes with political life.
"I wanted them to have the freedom of not having the eyes of the world on them," Michelle shared. "When people ask me if I would ever run, the answer is no. If you ask me that, then you have absolutely no idea the sacrifice that your kids make when your parents are in that role," the former first lady added.
Michelle and her daughters spent eight years in the White House during Barack Obama’s presidency (2009–2017), enduring the pressures of political life firsthand.
Michelle emphasized that she’s “not interested in politics in that way.” She went on, “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.”
Michelle praised Barack for being a supportive “girl dad” before joking, "I told Barack, ‘Dude, you need a bunch of women in your life to smack you around.’"
