After years of widespread admiration from the mainstream political world, former First Lady Michelle Obama is back in the spotlight promoting her new book on fashion and influence.
Her media tour comes as many note the contrast between her continued celebrity treatment and the lack of coverage First Lady Melania Trump received from major fashion outlets, as Melania has been largely ignored despite her modeling background. Still, in a recent interview, Obama claimed that she and her husband “didn’t get the grace” extended to other first families — a claim drawing swift backlash.
Ahead of the release of her photo-focused book, The Look, Michelle Obama sat down with Robin Roberts on Good Morning America, where excerpts from the book hinted at a revisionist take that contrasts with the glowing treatment the media once gave the Obama family.
“You said you were ‘all too aware that as the first black couple we couldn’t afford any missteps.’ And you also say, ‘as a black woman I was under a particularly white hot glare,’” said Roberts before she asked, “Did you feel that?”
“For sure,” replied the former first lady. “You can’t afford to get anything wrong because you didn’t — at least until the country came to know us — we didn’t get the grace that I think some other families have gotten.”
Michelle Obama complains: “We didn’t get the grace that I think some other (first) families have gotten.” pic.twitter.com/wgLY3TZqFD
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) October 31, 2025
Since leaving the White House, the Obamas have enjoyed one of the most profitable and influential post-presidency runs in history, maintaining strong ties within the Democratic Party. Some on the left even urged Michelle Obama to run for president in 2024 over Kamala Harris. Now, months after sparking headlines with a remark about being glad she didn’t have a son “who would’ve been a Barack Obama,” social media users are revisiting her legacy as her new book promotes her as “one of this country’s most influential figures.”
There was plenty of backlash to the former first lady’s claims on social media, but one user summed up the situation perfectly: “Eight years of magazine covers, late-night praise, and Hollywood adoration–but sure, tell us more about how unfair it all was.”
We really need to love them harder. pic.twitter.com/0vsYAH9UH2
— Political Sock (@politicalsock) November 1, 2025
Starting to feel like maybe Michelle Obama is a bitter malcontent addicted to complaining about her incredibly privileged life.
pic.twitter.com/1JN7Mi8dMt— Buck Sexton (@BuckSexton) November 1, 2025
Barack and Michelle Obama have been the king & queen of the Democrat Party for over 15 years. But Michelle says they never received ‘grace’ when they were in office.
It’s never enough for the Obamas…pic.twitter.com/I1DINklm2P
— Dennis Michael Lynch (@TrustDML) November 1, 2025
The Obamas are nothing but race-baiting hate merchants.
Sixteen years of being one of the richest, most beloved women in the country and she’s still throwing the race card.
— john jackson (@pvtjokerus) November 1, 2025
