Michelle Obama Complains About White House Years as She Reveals She 'Cried for 30 Minutes Straight' After Leaving
Michelle Obama claimed she cried for 30 minutes straight after leaving the White House.
Aug. 27 2026, Published 1:15 p.m. ET
Michelle Obama complained that the crushing “weight” of her eight years as first lady left her so emotionally spent that she broke down and "cried" tears of relief for 30 minutes straight after she and her husband, Barack Obama, finally left Washington, D.C., in 2017, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The IMO podcast host, 62, made the confession to guest Jon Stewart on Wednesday, August 26, when he turned the tables and grilled Michelle about how she handled the exit from the White House.
Jon Stewart Asked Michelle Obama About Living in the White House
Jon Stewart grilled Michelle Obama about the 'weight' of White House life.
"What was the feeling like? Because it is a crucible. You feel the weight of that house in every room and every piece of furniture that exists in that house," Stewart said. "And the responsibility, I imagine, is... it is the weight you bear every day that you walk through there."
Michelle agreed.
"The day you walk out, is that...is the experience one of liberation? Is it one of exhale?" Stewart wanted to know.
Michelle then recalled bawling with relief as she boarded Air Force One to leave the nation's capital on January 20, 2017, after Barack's successor, Donald Trump, was sworn in for his first term as president.
Michelle Obama Cried Leaving D.C. as a 'Release'
Michelle Obama said her tears leaving Washington, D.C. were not ones of 'sadness.'
"I got on that plane and that last trip on Air Force One, and I barely remember much of anything. But the minute I walked through those doors, I...burst out in tears, and I think I cried for like 30 minutes straight," Michelle described the experience.
The Becoming author noted they weren't tears of grief but of massive relief that her husband's two terms as president had finally come to an end.
"And for me, that is a show of a release of — it wasn't sadness. It was, thank God, we made it to the other side of that experience, because it's not just the responsibility, but as a mother, as like, okay, my kids are whole, my husband is whole, you know," she explained, referring to her daughters Malia, 28, and Sasha, 25.
Michelle Obama Breathed Sigh of 'Relief'
Michelle Obama already seemed over it all during Donald Trump's inauguration day events.
Michelle dished to Stewart that she was just glad the whole experience was "over."
"There was no guarantee that we'd get to this other side in one piece. We were proud of what we did, but it was like, it was over. It's like, 'whew,'" she said of finally becoming the former First Family.
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Michelle Obama Has Been Slammed By Critics Over White House Complaints
Michelle Obama has been slammed by critics for seeming 'ungrateful' about the perks of being first lady.
Michelle has previously made headlines for seemingly complaining about her time in the White House, including when she mentioned that she and her husband had to pay for the food their family ate, despite having a taxpayer-funded chef and huge staff to handle all of their other household responsibilities.
"It's expensive to live in the White House. Many people don't know, but much is not covered," she said in May 2025. "You're paying for every bit of food you eat."
Michelle was also called "ungrateful" and "out of touch" by critics after she in November 2025 that she needed a three-person glam squad as First Lady, and that she couldn't simply wear "off the rack" clothing.
