Former first lady Michelle Obama’s move to podcasting got off to a rocky start this week, dropping two episodes on YouTube Wednesday that received scant attention from viewers. In the 24 hours after their release, the first two episodes of “IMO” (short for “In My Opinion”) received 47,0 00 and 15,000 views for a total viewership on YouTube of just 62,000 — disappointing numbers no matter how you slice them, although figures aren’t in yet for other platforms, such as Apple and Spotify, where the show appeared. Former first lady Michelle Obama and her brother Craig Robinson launched their new podcast, but not without some hiccups from many of social media. (Photo by NAACP via Getty Images) Right-wing podcaster Joe Rogan, on the other hand, racked up nearly 800,000 views Wednesday for his interview with a venture capitalist. His recent sit-downs with celebrities such Bill Murray, Elon Musk, and Woody Harrelson saw viewership ranging from 3.5 million to 12 million. Right-wing influencers reveled in Obama’s lackluster performance. “Michelle Obama was loved in the 2010, and now, even with a mass marketing campaign, got less views than your average 20-year-old girl on TikTok making a video about her Starbucks order,” wrote Brittany Hugoboom on X. Val, aka Trump’s Hurricane, asked her 77,000-plus followers if they were “one of the 25 K that listened to Michelle Obama’s podcast.” And right-wing provocateur Benny Johnson wondered, “Who thought this was a good idea?” “The comments filled with people saying ‘nobody asked for this.’ What an utter failure,” he opined. Obama and her brother, Craig Robinson, executive director of the National Association of Basketball Coaches, announced the new venture on Monday, promising weekly episodes on “thought-provoking questions about daily life with experts and well-known guests, including Issa Rae, Keke Palmer and Dr. Orna Guralnik.” The first two episodes dealt with their personal lives, touching on subjects including divorce. “With everything going on in the world, we’re all looking for answers and people to turn to,” Obama said in the statement. “My brother Craig and I launched the IMOpodcast to create a space for people to come as they are, ask honest questions, give their opinions, and have thoughtful conversations about life. 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.” Democrats have complained that their party has surrendered podcasts to the right, and many believe that had a negative impact in November’s election, with Donald Trump’s appearance on Rogan’s show seen as a turning point in the campaign. California Gov. Gavin Newsom also recently debuted a podcast, though the Democrat widely expected to run for president in 2028 has followed a different strategy, featuring right-wingers like Michael Savage, Steve Bannon and Charlie Kirk as guests. The former first lady can only hope big-name guests will bring her bigger ratings. According to the New York Times, future guests are expected to include Tyler Perry, Dwyane Wade, Gabrielle Union and Seth and Lauren Rogan. The next episode dropped on Thursday and garnered 12,000 views by 8 p.m. In total, the podcast had 156,000 views by Thursday night. ‘An Utter Failure’: MAGA Revels In Low Ratings for Michelle Obama’s New Podcast ...read more read less