As First Lady Michelle Obama prepares to vacate the White House for the incoming president and his family, she reflects on the eight years she’s spent living in the iconic residence. Speaking with Vogue, the FLOTUS reveals what she’ll miss most and what she looks forward to once her husband, President Barack Obama, steps down from his post for Donald Trump.
“You know, there are little … moments. Even today I was looking out at this view here,” she tells the fashion mag, gesturing to the view outside 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. “Looking out on the South Lawn and the Washington Monument and it had just rained and the grass was really green and everything popped a little bit more. It’s soooo beautiful. And for that moment I thought, I’m going to miss waking up to this, having access to this anytime I want.”
“But on the flip side … it’s time. I think our democracy has it exactly right: two terms, eight years. It’s enough. Because it’s important to have one foot in reality when you have access to this kind of power,” continues. “The nature of living in the White House is isolating. And I think Barack and I — because we’re kind of stubborn — we’ve maintained some normalcy, mostly because of the age of our kids. I go out to dinner with my girlfriends; I go to Sasha’s games; Barack has coached a little basketball with Sasha’s team. But at the same time, when you can’t walk into CVS?”
While she did visit a CVS during her latest appearance on Ellen, the Harvard-educated lawyer admits that running to the local drugstore is practically impossible for someone in her current position, saying “I always think, Fun for me! But a complete hassle for my Secret Service agents.”
She explains, “When you’re not engaged in the day-to-day struggles that everybody feels, you slowly start losing touch. And I think it’s important for the people in the White House to have a finger on the pulse.”
As for rumors that she’ll run for president come 2020? Though the internet is certainly hoping to see her name on the ballot in four years, those closest to the First Family say Michelle will most likely stay away from politics once she’s out of the White House.
“Absolutely not,” Valerie Jarrett, the Senior Advisor to the President of the United States, tells the publication when asked if Michelle plans to run for office. When pressed, she explains that Michelle is so likable because she’s not a politician and never will be. “Everybody knows exactly why she’s doing what she’s doing. There are no hidden agendas. She’s pure in mission, honestkind, empathetic.”
The POTUS himself even adds that Michelle never aspired to be a First Lady in the first place.
“Michelle never asked to be First Lady,” he writes in an email to the magazine. “Like a lot of political spouses, the role was thrust upon her. But I always knew she’d be incredible at it, and put her own unique stamp on the job. That’s because who you see is who she is — the brilliant, funny, generous woman who, for whatever reason, agreed to marry me. I think people gravitate to her because they see themselves in her — a dedicated mom, a good friend, and someone who’s not afraid to poke a little fun at herself from time to time.”
“I could have spent eight years doing anything, and at some level, it would have been fine,” Michelle says, reflecting on her time as a First Lady. “I could have focused on flowers. I could have focused on decor. I could have focused on entertainment. Because any First Lady, rightfully, gets to define her role. There’s no legislative authority; you’re not elected. And that’s a wonderful gift of freedom.”
Whatever she chooses to do next, it’s safe to say that America will miss her presence in the White House.
