(Ben Sellers, Headline USA) Former first lady Michelle Obama revealed that the “next chapter” in her life is likely to look very much like the last several, with her main motivation being herself.
She and former president Barack Obama sat down for an awkward Good Morning America interview ahead of the opening of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago.
During the lightning round, interviewer Robin Roberts asked the two to describe their upcoming plans in a single word.
While Barack said he planned to cut loose with some “fun,” Michelle’s response suggested she may not be along for the ride.
“Me,” she said.
Rumors have swirled in recent years that the $70-million power couple’s marriage may be on the rocks, with Michelle Obama pointedly refusing to do her public duty by attending the 2025 inauguration of President Donald Trump.
Moreover, Michelle has repeatedly bashed her husband on her “In My Opinion” podcast, which she co-hosts with her brother, Craig Robinson.
She has said that Barack’s chewing, for example, makes her “want to smack [him] upside the head” and has criticized her husband for failing to be on time.
“Well Barack, he had to adjust to what ‘on time’ was,” she griped, according to Newsweek. “He was on that island time.”
When not hen-pecking her hubby, Michelle’s podcast, interviews and books have also fixated frequently on her feelings of being oppressed and sidelined as a black woman in America, albeit an extremely privileged one.
“As black women, our hair has long been mischaracterized and misunderstood,” she said in one such podcast episode. “Our hair is our heritage, our pride, and our resilience.”
Critics reacted to her latest desire for more “me” time with a hearty dose of disdain, as Fox News reported.
“So, in case you didn’t know this… Michelle Obama thinks about herself a lot,” said political commentator Danny De Urbina.
So, in case you didn't know this… Michelle Obama thinks about herself a lot. https://t.co/d96uH37ST9
— Danny De Urbina (@dannydeurbina) June 18, 2026
“Only person on earth who can make me feel bad for Barack,” said X influencer Lydia Leitermann.
Only person on earth who can make me feel bad for Barack.
— Sour Patch Mom ن (@sourpatchlyds) June 18, 2026
However, Michelle’s cringeworthy reply on GMA was not the only soundbyte that raised some eyebrows during the Obama Center’s opening ceremony.
During her speech, she appeared to take a dig at Barack over his dubiously awarded preemptive Nobel Peace Prize, leading another ex-first lady, Hillary Clinton, to unleash an uncomfortable cackle.
YIKES. Michelle Obama brings up the fact Barack got a Nobel Peace prize and it doesn’t go over well at all…
Barack looks FURIOUS and Hillary Clinton starts cracking up.
Everyone knows him getting that award was a complete joke.
Brutal. pic.twitter.com/zWyPoBIhfN
— Jack (@jackunheard) June 18, 2026
Not to be outdone, Barack Obama also sought to redirect conversation back to himself during his speech.
An analysis by journalist Tom Elliott noted that he made a total of 126 references to himself during the 33 minute speech — or roughly 3.8 per minute.
“Impressive, even by Obama’s standards,” Elliott wrote.
Some stats from Obama's superlatively supercilious celebration of himself.
Length of remarks: 33 minutes
Obama's references to Obama:
I: 61
Me: 48
My/myself: 17
TOTAL: 126This equates to 3.8 first person references per minute of talking, for 33 minutes.
Impressive,… pic.twitter.com/DA2sH1B7Jl
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) June 19, 2026
Ben Sellers is a freelance writer and former editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/realbensellers.
