‘I Went to Princeton and Harvard!’: Michelle Obama Laments Being Reduced to ‘Barack Obama’s Wife’
Former First Lady Michelle Obama used a recent podcast appearance to air longstanding grievances about public perception, arguing that her identity and résumé were eclipsed once her husband rose to national political prominence.
During a Wednesday episode of the popular podcast Call Her Daddy, Obama said that throughout her time in the White House she was frequently dismissed as merely “Barack Obama’s wife,” despite an elite academic and professional background she says should have spoken for itself.
“People would be like, ‘Well, how do you know what to do in this role?’ And to me, it was clear that… you don’t know anything about what I did before I came here… But I was like, well, I went to Princeton and Harvard,” she said. “I mean, I practiced law. I was an assistant to the mayor in Chicago. I ran a nonprofit, a 501(c)(3)… I was a vice president for community relations at the University of Chicago Hospitals. I was a dean of students.”
Obama went on to argue that her credentials were quickly pushed aside once the campaign spotlight intensified.
“All of that just disappeared in the course of this whole election, and you now see me as just Barack Obama’s wife… That quickly my shoes become the most important thing about me… not unique to me, it can happen to the best of us,” she added. “So, I shied away from fashion leading the conversation. But I knew I didn’t completely control it. So, let’s lean in. Let’s lean in with what we do. Let’s make sure that we have a plan and a strategy in place for how fashion, just like everything we did in the White House, would have meaning and impact.”
The comments fit a familiar pattern from the former first lady, who has increasingly framed her public commentary around perceived cultural slights, gender barriers, and systemic limitations—often through the lens of elite institutions and progressive social priorities.
In the same appearance, Obama also advised young mothers not to step away from their careers, arguing that children rarely recognize parental sacrifice.
“Let’s be more honest about the struggle… I am constantly telling young mothers it’s coming. You don’t have to get off your career track. And I don’t even recommend it,” the former first lady said. “Because kids grow up fast. And then they’re gone. You’ve sacrificed everything. And you know, when they leave, they leave. They close the door and act like you never sacrificed.”
Her remarks echoed similar sentiments shared during a July episode of IMO with Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson, where she lamented what she described as the uniquely oppressive experience of womanhood in modern America.
“Women, we have so many landmines, and barriers, and don’ts, and limitations… I think it’s important for all guys listening, especially men raising daughters, to realize that difference,” she said. “And inadvertently, as you are loving and raising these beautiful girls, there are so many rules that make us small.”
Critics have noted the striking contrast between Obama’s repeated complaints and the extraordinary platform, influence, and privilege she continues to enjoy—advantages that far exceed those available to most American women, particularly during a time when many families are struggling under inflation, crime, and cultural instability.