Barack Obama's Reaction To Unwanted Female Attention Should Make Michelle Proud

Being the president of the United States comes with the entire world having eyes on you. However, when Barack Obama held office, some eyes were on his body rather than his policies. The former president appeared on "The Pivot Podcast" where he spoke with co-hosts and former NFL players Channing Crowder, Ryan Clark, and Fred Taylor about receiving attention from women that was unwanted, and at times, inappropriate.

"By the time people really knew who I was, I was 43 years old. I was married, had two kids, had gone grocery shopping, had washed my car. I was a regular guy in that sense. That kind of attention, by the time I got it, I was not tripping on it," Obama recalled. "There are times where women have acted in somewhat inappropriate ways. There are pictures on the internet of women grabbing my butt, and I was president at the time." Looking back, he noted how the Secret Service did not get involved because the attention came from "old ladies and stuff, so I mean, they're not going to wrestle them down on the ground."

But the former commander-in-chief had confidence that his marriage was secure. He even credits his wife, Michelle Obama, with teaching him how to avoid distractions. "My wife is such an extraordinary woman, such an amazing partner, that you just try to stay focused, stay on the straight and narrow," he said. "And also, look, kids change your life. The idea of disappointing your kids is something that, I ain't going there."

Former First Lady Michelle Obama has often given the world a peek behind the curtain when it comes to her relationship with her husband. She married Barack Obama in 1992, and shared during a 2018 interview with Robin Roberts that she fell hard for the former president after their first kiss. "He just leaned in for a kiss. And that really was it. You know, from that kiss on, it was love. And he was my man." She also reflected on their love story in her 2018 best-selling book "Becoming." Michelle explained (via Yahoo), "As soon as I allowed myself to feel anything for Barack, the feelings came rushing — a toppling blast of lust, gratitude, fulfillment, and wonder."

But she cautions the public to be realistic about her marriage, and not to treat it as a fairytale romance. The two have a typical marriage which includes disagreements and arguments just like any other marriage. While on the "Jay Shetty Podcast" in January 2024, Michelle said, "I don't want people looking at me and Barack like, hashtag couple goals. There are some broken things that happen even in the best of marriages." Michelle has even previously revealed that she and Barack attended marriage counseling together in the past.

After more than 30 years of marriage, the Obamas are still enjoying their lives together. Barack even paid tribute to Michelle in a TikTok video promoting National Voter Registration Day. The former president donned a classy suit jacket with the words "Michelle's husband" embroidered on the back.