It’s the speculative question that just won’t go away: What is the status of the Obamas’ marriage?
Everybody, from podcasters to the daughter of a former member of the Senate, has speculated on whether Barack and Michelle Obama were headed for divorce or not.
(Not helping matters were some of the quotes proffered by the former first lady.)
Yet through it all, Barack and Michelle have largely laughed this sort of speculation off as much ado about nothing. And for a while, those rumors were largely put to rest.
Now, however, those rumors have returned afresh, and from an odd source: Barack himself.
Obama spoke to The New Yorker for a lengthy profile, and the glowing piece largely focused on what the former president’s role should be in “the age of Trump.”
That question covered a variety of topics, but it was Obama’s mention of his marriage that raised the most eyebrows.
“She wants to see her husband easing up and spending more time with her, enjoying what remains of our lives,” the 64-year-old Obama said of his 62-year-old wife. “It does create a genuine tension in our household, and it frustrates her.”
Again, that snippet from a much larger profile piece specifically caught quite a bit of attention.
USA Today wrote that Obama admitted to this potential marital strife. The Independent, a British outlet, opted to frame President Donald Trump as the source of the Obamas’ marital woes. Fox News, naturally, also covered it.
Elsewhere in the profile, The New Yorker asked Obama what more he can do to oppose the Trump administration in 2026.
“For me to function like Jon Stewart, even once a week, just going off, just ripping what was happening — which, by the way, I’m glad Jon’s doing it — then I’m not a political leader, I’m a commentator,” Obama responded.
Interestingly enough, Obama did claim that people can’t even fathom what he’s been up to.
“The media environment is so difficult that people don’t even know all the stuff I am doing, right?” Obama said. “And, I think, when they do see me, then the sense is ‘Well, why isn’t he doing that every day instead of just during a midterm election, or during a referendum campaign around gerrymandering, or what have you?’”
To be clear, The New Yorker is very much dead set against the current president.
The outlet would often frame Trump using words like “recklessness” and mentioned that he “has used the Justice Department to prosecute his political enemies” without making mention of the Biden DOJ.
But even The New Yorker made a point to jab the Obamas about their wealth.
The outlet wrote: “The Obamas no longer need to make their tax returns public. There is no knowing how much money they’ve made in the past nine years — or how much money they’ve given to charity — but their receipts certainly reach nine figures, from book sales, speeches, and deals with Netflix, Spotify, and Audible. Over time, they have built a considerable real-estate portfolio.”
It later added: “As the Trump Administration began to assert itself with such policies as the Muslim ban and family separation, even some of Obama’s most loyal constituents grew frustrated with the ex-President’s luxurious vacations.”
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
