Major Differences Between Malia And Sasha Obama, According To Barack And Michelle

While the media has long speculated about the lavish lives of Malia and Sasha Obama, the clearest pictures of the budding young women have come directly from the former president and first lady themselves. Over the years, Barack and Michelle Obama have provided the public with  glimpses into the personalities of their daughters, sharing snippets of their lives via interviews and on social media.

According to the political figures, their daughters have pretty distinct personalities. "In some ways, Malia and Sasha couldn't be more different," Michelle told British Vogue in 2019. "One speaks freely and often, one opens up on her own terms. One shares her innermost feelings, the other is content to let you figure it out." Malia is the oldest of the Obama daughters, born in July 1998, while Sasha is the youngest, born in June 2001.

The two were only 10 and 7 when their father was elected into office, but have since grown into full-fledged adults that their parents seemingly can't help but gush about. As Michelle commented, "They've both grown into smart, compassionate, and independent young women, fully capable of paving their own paths."

Barack and Michelle Obama have revealed that their daughters have pretty clear-cut personalities, with the former president going on to explain that Malia and Sasha each take after one of their parents. During an appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live," President Obama was jokingly asked if it was true that he was afraid of his youngest daughter.

"Yes. And the reason is because Sasha is a mini Michelle, and I'm afraid of Michelle, and Sasha, having seen that, has the same look and the same attitude," the former president said. "Malia is more like me temperamentally. We call ourselves 'the long faces' because her face is more shaped like mine. 'The round faces' are Michelle and Sasha. And the round faces are a fiercer tribe. We're like the vegetarians—the gatherers, and they're the hunters. We try to keep the peace with them."

This difference in disposition mentioned by President Obama aligns with Michelle's description of the girls, with Sasha seemingly being more outspoken while Malia tends to be more reserved with her thoughts. As noted by People, the former president has also described Malia as "wise and thoughtful" while Sasha is known as "the comedian in the family."

Malia and Sasha Obama might have some pretty major differences in personality, but that doesn't mean the sisters don't get along. In fact, in November 2022, Michelle Obama talked with Today about how the two live together in Los Angeles. Malia moved to California after graduating from Harvard University to pursue a career in screenwriting, while Sasha moved to LA after transferring from the University of Michigan to the University of Southern California.

"The thing that I love the most is that those two girls are each other's best friends," the former first lady shared, adding that they didn't always get along when they were younger. "To see them in that place where they're one another's support systems and they've got each other's back, it's just the thing that a mother would want." With this glimpse into the distinct personalities of Malia and Sasha Obama, we're glad to know that the two sisters maintain much love for one another despite their dissimilarities.