Michelle Obama told podcast listeners she does not miss her daughters now that they have left home.
The former first lady made the comment during a recent episode of her podcast, IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson. Her guest was longtime Daily Show host Jon Stewart, and her brother Craig Robinson was also part of the conversation.
Stewart, who is also an empty nester, set up the moment by describing the quiet comfort of being alone again with a spouse once the kids are gone. He said he missed “the energy and excitement of the kids being around” but appreciated having “just the two of us” back.
Obama’s response was quick and blunt. “I don’t miss em’,” she said.
As originally reported, Obama did not let the comment sit without some context. She followed it immediately by saying, “I don’t. I love them. I’m going to see them tonight for dinner. I love them.”
The 62-year-old then turned the moment into a contrast between herself and former President Barack Obama. When their daughters left for college, she said, Barack cried. Her own reaction was rather different. “I was like, ‘Bye, goodbye,'” she told the group.
Their daughter Malia is now 28, and Sasha is 25. Both have since moved out of the family home.
The candid exchange drew attention from listeners and viewers who were not expecting such a flat-footed answer from a former first lady on the subject of her own children. The comment spread quickly, with many reacting to the contrast between Obama’s trademark warmth in public settings and the deadpan honesty she delivered on the podcast.
Stewart’s framing of the question was gentle and relatable. Obama’s answer was neither. It was the kind of unfiltered moment that tends to travel fast, and this one did exactly that.