First Lady Michelle Obama’s farewell interview with Oprah Winfrey had intimate details on her time at the White House, how she is handling the current election results, and even if she intended to run for office, but one thing the FLOTUS was adamant about was setting a good example for the younger generation.
She discussed the weight she had on her shoulders when she first came to the White House:
“Let’s be honest, there is no way to describe what it feels like to open up the paper every day and know that almost every headline is your husband’s responsibility at some level. Anywhere in the world, any major problem, any major issue, falls on the laps of the Commander-in-chief and that is a weight that is indescribable,” Obama told Oprah, explaining that the weight has slightly lifted because they have survived and thrived in the last 8 years.
When Oprah asked her if there was ever a time she felt like she was being tested, and thought if this period would make her and break her, Obama laughed and told her that as a defense mechanism, she tends to push challenges away instead of holding on to them.
“I think that’s the way I handle things, and I think we as women do it, we as black women better be able to do it, because there is so much that comes at us all the time and everyday in subtle ways that could tear your soul apart if you let it,” she stated.
And when she was asked regarding the election, the FLOTUS had plenty to say.
“This past election was challenging, as a citizen, for me to watch and experience. It was painful,” she told Oprah.
Regardless, Obama agreed to go campaigning for Clinton because she thought that she could have an impact.
“To have a candidate for the presidency, speaking in such terms about women, as I said it was not a normal thing,” she explained. “So my response in light of what I was seeing from my female staff, what I was hearing from my daughters, their reaction to it, for me required a different kind of response.”
She explained that like many people she was shaken to the core to see a presidential candidate’s attitude towards women. People are still “feeling the reverberations of that kind of caustic language,” she added.
Another thing she mentioned at a rally really struck a cord with supporters throughout the election and resonates with the kind of person she is and wants her daughters to be.
“When they go high, we go low.”
Obama explained that people need to act on the phrase instead of just repeating it.
“It looks like so many things but it goes back to words matter, what we say, how we behave, we are modeling to the next generation. So if we want maturity, we have to be mature. If we want a nation that feels hopeful, then we have to speak in hopeful terms. We have to show love and empathy. If we want smart leaders, then we have to be smart voters.”
She also emphasized that her door will always be open to the Trump family if they need advice on anything and the family will continue to ensure that the transfer is as smooth as possible. The conversation touched on several other key points including Obama’s decision of never running for office. When Oprah asked Obama if this administration really ran on hope as it had promised, Obama wholeheartedly agreed.
“Yes, I do because we feel the difference now, now we are feeling what not having hope feels like,” she explained, emphasizing that hope is a necessary concept.
“Barack didn’t just talk about hope because he thought it was a nice slogan to get votes, he and I and so many believe that,” she added. “What else do you have if you don’t have hope? What do you give your kids if you cant give them hope?
As she ended on that note, President Obama also joined the interview for a few minutes. When Oprah asked him if he was still hopeful, he said “absolutely.”
“I feel hopeful about the next generation. History moves in cycles, what last is the impact of what we have done has had in peoples minds and hearts and that continues.”
Oprah also asked him if his wife had exceeded his expectations as FLOTUS.
“We all knew she was brilliant and cute, and strong and a great mom, but I think the way in which she blended purpose and policy with fun so that she was able to reach beyond Washington on her healthcare initiatives and on our military family work was masterful,” he stated.
The interview also concluded on an optimistic note, Michelle Obama’s prayer for the country.
“It’s hope. My desire for this country is that we remain hopeful and that we find a place in our hearts to love each other. It’s really simple, just opening up our hearts to each other and making room.”
