Former first lady Michelle Obama, 61, is openly sharing her true thoughts about her husband, Barack Obama, 63, who successfully ran for the United States presidency in 2008.   Barack’s wife sat down with her 62-year-old brother, Craig Robinson, for an episode of the siblings’ new “IMO” podcast.  The March 12-dated edition of the show included the Princeton University graduate discussing how her husband’s political ambitions impacted their marriage. Michelle Obama exposes her true feelings about husband, Barack Obama’s two terms as president. (Photo by Michael Kovac/WireImage) “I couldn’t have gotten through eight years in the White House without my big brother,” Michelle admitted. “That’s another sort of unusual aspect to our lives, our relationships, was this whole being married to the president of the United States thing that none of us kind of banked on.” She went on to say that Robinson talked her into supporting her spouse’s initial presidential run. On Barack reaching out to her brother, the ex-FLOTUS said, “He was smart enough to know he needed to come to you and sell you on the idea.” We’re living through some complicated times but coming together and having those conversations around life’s big questions is how we’ll all get through it. Please enjoy the official trailer for IMO with @MichelleObama & @CraigMalRob. pic.twitter.com/y1W3uqRKDV— IMO (@imopodcasts) March 11, 2025 The mother of two also revealed her first reaction to her family possibly hitting the grueling campaign trail on behalf of Barack was, “Nope, no way, this is crazy. We’ve done enough crazy stuff.” Robinson then explained that Michelle was concerned that Barack, as the leader of the free world, would not be as involved in raising their two daughters, 26-year-old Malia and 23-year-old Natasha “Sasha” Obama. “Barack came to me and he’s like, ‘I can’t convince your sister to go along with us,’” he recalled. Robinson suggested to his brother-in-law that they would have to persuade his and Michelle’s mother, Marian Robinson, to get on board and hopefully change Michelle’s mind. Robinson then told his younger sister, “The thing that pushed it over the top was I convinced you to not penalize him for being really good at what he does.” Michelle eventually signed-on to then-Sen. Obama becoming the Democratic Party nominee against Republican nominee Senator John McCain in the 2008 United States presidential election. Barack defeated McCain to begin his first administration on Jan. 20, 2009. The Honolulu-born politician won reelection in 2012 by triumphing over Republican former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. The 2024 election saw Obama’s successor, Republican candidate Donald Trump, reelected for a second, non-consecutive term in by vanquishing Democratic opponent Vice President Kamala Harris. JUST IN: President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama greet President-elect Trump and wife Melania https://t.co/RxTvfL9m8H #InaugurationDay pic.twitter.com/eHs2pgD35O— CNN (@CNN) January 20, 2017 Michelle’s decision to skip Trump’s inauguration ceremony in January as well as Jimmy Carter’s funeral weeks before generated a variety of mixed reactions around the world. Amid the backlash, many countered by noting that Trump chose to skip the inauguration of his 2020 campaign opponent, Joe Biden. “She’s never been fake and she’s never been phony. She’s always been very deliberate about where and how she shows up,” an alleged source connected to Michelle told Page Six also in January. However, Barack attended Carter’s funeral at the Washington National Cathedral and he was inside the United States Capitol rotunda to watch Trump officially become the 47th president of the United States.  The fact that Barack has repeatedly appeared in public without his wife ignited unsubstantiated rumors that the Obamas could be having marital troubles. The power couple, who have been married for 32 years and share two daughters, attempted to shut down the chatter by exchanging loving posts about each other for Valentine’s Day on Instagram. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Barack Obama (@barackobama) After leaving the White House following Trump’s win during the 2016 election, the Obamas moved into the media space by founding the Higher Ground Productions company.  The agency has produced documentaries like “Starting 5,” podcast series like “Renegades: Born in the USA,” television series like “The Later Daters,” and feature films on Netflix such as “Rustin,” “Leave The World Behind,” and “Fatherhood.” Michelle also released her New York Times best-selling memoir “Becoming” in 2018. The book chronicled her career and life as the first lady, a mom and wife. In addition, “The Michelle Obama Podcast” premiered on Spotify in 2020. I’m done with my book! I’ve learned a lot about myself and I’d like to share my story of BECOMING—the plainness, the blemishes, the crazy turns—with you on my book tour, beginning 11/13 in Chicago. Go to https://t.co/dVXmPri4OS to find out how to get tickets. #IAmBecoming pic.twitter.com/jmlbh19RXG— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) September 12, 2018 The list of future guests of “IMO with Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson” podcast includes filmmaker Tyler Perry, radio personality Angie Martinez, television star Tracee Ellis Ross, and married celebrities Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union. “With everything going on in the world, we’re all looking for answers and people to turn to,” Michelle stated in a press release. The statement continued, “There is no single way to deal with the challenges we may be facing — whether it’s family, faith, or our personal relationships — but taking the time to open up and talk about these issues can provide hope.” Michelle and Craig also published a second installment of “IMO” on March 12 featuring “Insecure” creator and actress Issa Rae. New episodes of the podcast will premiere every week. ‘We’ve Done Enough Crazy Stuff’: Michelle Obama Never Wanted Husband Barack to Run for President After Struggling Two Terms ...read more read less