Barack Obama is getting candid about the emotional cost of the presidency—especially on his marriage.
During a conversation with Hamilton College President Steven Tepper on Thursday, the former U.S. president reflected on the toll two terms in the White House took on his relationship with Michelle Obama.
“I was in a deep deficit with my wife,” he admitted, adding, “So I have been trying to dig myself out of that hole by doing occasionally fun things.”
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It’s not the first time Obama has spoken about the strain political life placed on their bond. In a 2023 interview with CBS Mornings, he shared, “It sure helps to be out of the White House and to have a little more time with her.”
Michelle Obama has also been strikingly honest about their relationship journey. In a 2022 interview on Revolt TV, she revealed, “There were 10 years where I couldn’t stand my husband”—a reference to the pressure-filled years when Barack was climbing the political ladder, while she juggled work and raising their daughters, Sasha and Malia.
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The Obamas, who met in the late 1980s while working at the same Chicago law firm, married in 1992. In his 2020 memoir A Promised Land, Obama wrote that he “was smitten almost from the second I saw her.”
READ ALSO: Barack Obama celebrates Michelle’s 61st birthday with a heartfelt message
Lately, the couple has faced swirling tabloid rumors—particularly from right-wing media—suggesting marital trouble, even linking Barack to Friends star Jennifer Aniston. The gossip gained traction when Michelle was absent from public events like Jimmy Carter’s funeral and Donald Trump’s inauguration, both of which Obama attended solo.
In response, the couple has leaned into each other publicly, posting affectionate Valentine’s Day selfies with heartfelt captions aimed at quieting the noise.
Beyond his personal reflections, Obama also used Thursday’s appearance to break his silence on Donald Trump’s presidency. He condemned Trump’s efforts to discredit law firms and the press, while calling out the GOP’s silence in response.
“It’s unimaginable that the same parties that are silent now would have tolerated behavior like that from me—or a whole bunch of my predecessors,” he said.
READ ALSO: Barack Obama questions Trump’s competence, labels him ‘older, loonier Donald Trump’
