Michelle Obama Faces Criticism After Claiming Elite Colleges 'Failed Students of Color by Isolating Them' Across Campus
Michelle Obama is once again in hot water over her comments.
July 31 2026, Published 1:45 p.m. ET
Michelle Obama is facing criticism after claiming elite colleges have failed students of color, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The former first lady was joined by Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson for the Wednesday, July 29, episode of her podcast IMO, and the two agreed that students of color have been let down across campuses.
Michelle Obama Criticizes Elite Colleges
Michelle Obama claimed students of color are being done a disservice at elite colleges.
"You don't do kids of color service by plucking them out and making them one of a few and then scattering them about the campus," Michelle said during their chat.
"I think that's absolutely right," Jackson said in response. The 55-year-old attended Harvard while Michelle also studied at the Massachusetts school but found herself at Princeton as well.
According to Jackson, while she felt lonely in high school, things changed when she arrived at Harvard in the late 1980s.
She recalled, "At the time that I went to Harvard, which, we're contemporaries in terms of the timing of it, there was a sizable Black community on campus, and it was like, I found my people, in a sense."
Critics Go Off on Michelle Obama: 'Always Complaining About Everything'
The former first lady attended Harvard Law School in the late 1980s.
Jackson added, "The people who had similar life experiences and backgrounds that I had, where you could feel totally comfortable being yourself,
"And my roommates and I ... I roomed with five other Black women, and there were six of us on campus, and then we were within this larger community, and it was just amazing." According to Harvard's reporting, Black enrollment has dropped from 18 percent to 11.5 percent since 2023.
However, critics weren't happy with the exchange and honed in on Michelle's comments.
One person said, "She sounds like an idiot. This is who they think is the top. Just another DEI hire," and a user suggested, "Justice KBJ and Michelle Obama are privileged and entitled Black American women who don’t relate to Black Americans."
A critic went off, "Always complaining about everything," and someone else added, "Michelle Obama just needs to go away. Her time is done."
Michelle Obama Receives Backlash Over Security Concerns
Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson agreed with Michelle Obama's claims.
Michelle is no stranger to receiving backlash for her comments, especially since leaving the White House following her husband Barack's presidency in 2017.
In a resurfaced podcast interview, the 62-year-old revealed insight into her cybersecurity measures, including avoiding using Apple Pay just to be safe.
"I don't want to be tracked," Michelle told Amy Poehler on the comedian's podcast in the May 2025 interview. "... When the system crashes, I'm still going to have cash. I have cash in my wallet untouched for a decade." She also claimed sometimes she forgets to use a credit card, an eye-raising comment that drew the ire of her critics.
One declared, "What an elitist! I forgot how to use a credit card?" And another urged others to stop listening to millionaires: They're not like us; they will never be like us, and they cannot relate to us..."
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Megyn Kelly Rages Over Michelle Obama's 'Narcissism'
Michelle Obama has received backlash for some of her comments since leaving the White House with husband Barack.
Michelle and her husband are believed to have a net worth of about $70million. Meanwhile, Michelle has also touched on the bad aspects of her time as first lady, including how expensive it was to live at the White House, and called out the negative articles written about her.
A vocal anti-Michelle figure, Megyn Kelly, wasn't having it, accusing her of "dripping in narcissism."
"Would you at least feign some humility? I’m embarrassed for you," Kelly raged in the July 20th episode of her show. "You're actually not that great. You’re fine."
The former Fox News personality then called out the former president, and added, "This is what poor Barack has been dealing with for 20-30 years now. I mean, no wonder the guy is so gray so prematurely."
