A Look Back At The Time Sasha & Malia Obama Met Justin Bieber

When your parent is the president of the United States, you surely have a lot of pressure that other kids don't have. Luckily, you also have some serious perks. This is something Malia and Sasha Obama know all too well (even though they won't be pursuing a career in politics themselves). Barack Obama became president in 2008, making Sasha and Malia aged 7 and 10, respectively, when moving into the White House. Back in 2011, the Obama sisters got to live out a dream that surely made many of their peers envious: they met Justin Bieber.

In 2010, 16-year-old Bieber released his debut studio album, "My World 2.0." Consequently, Bieber was the ultimate breakout star in 2011 when he attended the 30th annual Christmas in Washington concert. Many stars gathered at the National Building Museum on a December evening to spread holiday cheer and support the Children's National Medical Center. The Obama family sang Christmas carols along with the crowds, and stars like Jennifer Hudson, Victoria Justice, and Cee Lo Green took the stage to perform. 

It was reportedly clear, however, that like most tween girls of the moment, 13-year-old Malia and 10-year-old Sasha had their eyes on Bieber. After the concert came to a close, the sisters met the pop star. Bieber gave Sasha a hug and spent some time talking to the famous sisters. Malia was even photographed reaching out to touch Bieber's shoulder.

While meeting Justin Bieber certainly made the 30th annual Christmas in Washington concert a night that Malia and Sasha Obama would never forget, it was also a big night for Justin Bieber, who got to meet the president while still at the start of his career. That night, he showed the world how impressed he was by seeing Barack Obama in person and hearing him speak to the crowd about the meaning of Christmas. Bieber took to X, formerly known as Twitter, writing, "Great night! President Obama is one cool Prez. He told me he was 'chillin'. #PresidentialSWAG."

It seems clear that the Obama family and Bieber had mutual respect. As a result, it must have been surprising and a bit hilarious for all involved when, just a year later, a video of Barack singing Bieber's hit song, "Boyfriend," went viral. Surely to the relief of Malia and Sasha, Barack wasn't actually covering the song; it was a collection of clips edited together to make it seem like Barack was singing it — a popular trend of the time. The video ultimately racked up over ten million views; hopefully, this wasn't too embarrassing for Sasha and Malia, but we have a feeling it was.