The Obama Presidential Center opening on Chicago’s South Side was already an emotional affair, especially as Michelle Obama delivered a tribute so moving it left her husband wiping away tears in front of the crowd. But behind all the fanfare, Barack and Michelle Obama sat down for an interview that offered a revealing look at 34 years of their marriage. The couple’s joint interview showed something quieter and far more personal, and one cannot help but gush over it.
Barack Obama says he got the better deal in marriage, but Michelle won't let it slide
Talking to PEOPLE in an exclusive interview, Barack and Michelle Obama walked through their love story, their White House years, their marriage, and what it looks like to build a legacy together. Then the former president said something that made everyone pause.
He told PEOPLE, “I don’t know if it’s been an equal partnership,” noting, “It’s worked out for me pretty well. I’ve gotten more out of it than she has. For her it’s probably more of a mixed bag.” But his wife was not having it as she shut the thought down before it could fester.
The former First Lady said, “My husband is always thinking about reflecting the light on other people,” drawing a clear line between humility and revisionist history and recounting how Barack showed up as a leader, a father, and a husband in ways that still make her proud. Hence, the “mixed bag” joke did not match her reality.
Moreover, she called her husband her “ballast,” recalling, “He was like, ‘I got you.’” Michelle Obama also confidently said, “And however hard it’s been, the ups and downs, he’s got me,” all while Barack raved, “Just being with her made me better, and she still does” — a testament to a strong marriage even after all these years.
As the new center opens its doors on the streets where they first fell in love — where a plaque now marks the curb outside a Baskin-Robbins — the Obamas are side by side, always in each other’s corner.
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