In a candid and often humorous appearance on Amy Poehler’s podcast, Michelle Obama opened up about everything from push-up contests with Ellen DeGeneres to her marriage with Barack Obama, putting to rest recent rumors and shedding light on the lighter side of post-White House life.
Recounting a now-iconic moment from her time as First Lady, Michelle reminisced about a 2012 appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show where the two went toe-to-toe in a push-up contest—a competition Michelle won handily with 25 clean reps. Or at least, that’s how she remembers it.
“She still says I didn’t go down all the way,” Michelle said, laughing. “Anatomically, I don’t think I can. My arms are very long and she’s a much smaller person than me.”
The exchange, while lighthearted, reflected a theme that runs throughout Michelle’s latest media tour: balancing confidence, humor, and authenticity, even when the spotlight is relentless.
Michelle and her brother, Craig Robinson, have embarked on a media blitz to promote their podcast, using the platform to revisit White House years, discuss family dynamics, and reflect on their current lives outside the political fray.
And unlike the polished precision of her First Lady tenure, Michelle says her current work allows for more spontaneity and imperfection:
“Not trying to get things so perfect. As First Lady… the stakes were so high,” she admitted. “Barack and I, our team, we felt like we didn’t have room to get anything wrong.”
Now, she’s leaning into humor and relatability—telling stories that show a woman who is just as comfortable on a stage as she is being teased by her daughters at the dinner table.
“When me, Malia, and Sasha are together, [Barack] doesn’t stand a chance. Teasing is our love language.”
In recent weeks, tabloids and social media have swirled with speculation about the Obamas’ marriage, fueled in part by Michelle’s absence from Donald Trump’s inauguration—a moment that continues to be mined for narratives. But Michelle, in typical fashion, met the rumors head-on with clarity and wit.
“If I were having problems with my husband, everybody would know about it,” she told Diary of a CEO host Steven Bartlett, chuckling. “I would be problem-solving in public, like, ‘Let me tell you what he did.’”
While she admitted that marriage is “hard”, she dismissed the notion of any looming split, affectionately calling Barack, “as the young people say… my person.”
