Obama's Cheeky Reelection Comment That Had Everything To Do With Daughters Sasha And Malia

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If there's one thing Michelle Obama's podcast with her brother, Craig Robinson, taught us, it's that there are many things we never knew about Barack Obama. In an October 15, 2025 episode of "IMO," the former first lady revealed that her husband made a cheeky reelection comment in private. However, it had nothing to do with wanting to hold on to power and everything to do with their daughters, Malia and Sasha Obama. As Michelle disclosed, "Barack was like, 'I'm going to get reelected just so that my girls have Secret Service in the teen years.'" Although it gave the couple peace of mind to know their daughters were well-protected, the girls didn't exactly enjoy the experience, and Malia and Sasha still managed to rack up their fair share of controversial moments too. 

As he readied to leave the White House in January 2017, Barack made an appearance on ABC News' "This Week," telling host George Stephanopoulos that, while he and Michelle were secretly thrilled to have their children under 24/7 protection, the girls hated every second of it. "They complained about Secret Service as they became teenagers," the former president acknowledged. "But as you might imagine, if you're a teenager having a couple of people with microphones and guns always following you around, that could grate on them." Barack commended them for handling it well and growing into fine women. 

He also joked that Malia and Sasha will likely never run for public office, chiefly thanks to experiencing firsthand what it's like not to have any privacy. "Them as teenagers having Secret Service guys follow them when they were going out on dates, I think probably has shut down their interest in public service," Barack quipped during a 2021 appearance on "The Late Late Show with James Corden."

Thanks to Barack Obama's tenure as the 44th U.S. president, his daughters will forever remain of public interest. There are plenty of things Sasha and Malia Obama can't stand about fame, and forever being known as the president's daughters is unsurprisingly one of them. Of course, their father is well aware that fame puts a target on their backs. In 2021, the bestselling author confessed to CNN that his daughters' safety still keeps him up at night. Addressing their attendance at the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, Barack shared, "I always worry about their physical safety; that's just the nature of fatherhood." 

Michelle Obama admitted she feels the same way during an interview with "CBS This Morning" in 2021, especially since her daughters will have to deal with racism. "Like so many parents of Black kids [...] the innocent act of getting a license puts fear in our hearts," the former first lady pointed out. Her husband wasn't just worried about his daughters while serving as president either — Barack was also concerned about his marriage too. In the former leader's memoir, "A Promised Land," he detailed how his presidency put a lot of pressure on it. 

"Despite Michelle's success and popularity, I continued to sense an undercurrent of tension in her, subtle but constant, like the faint thrum of a hidden machine," Barack penned. Likewise, the beloved politician was worried that their relationship would never return to the way it had been before. Luckily, Barack and his family all made it out of the White House intact.