Michelle Obama is stepping back into the media landscape with a new podcast alongside her brother, Craig Robinson, where the siblings candidly discuss family, relationships, and life experiences. In the debut episode of IMO with Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson, released Wednesday, the former first lady reflected on her husband's long-standing habit of running late and revealed that she initially opposed his presidential campaign.
"Well, Barack, he had to adjust to what 'on time' was," Obama said during the episode. She explained how her husband, who grew up in Hawaii, operated on "island time," often waiting until the last minute to prepare before leaving. "I got this husband who's like, when it's time to leave, it's three o'clock, he's getting up and going to the bathroom! And I was like, 'Dude, dude, like three o'clock departure means you've done all that,' you know? It's like, don't start looking for your glasses, you know, at the three o'clock departure."
Obama noted that while it had taken years, her husband had made progress. "He's improved over 30 years of marriage," she said. She also emphasized that she had instilled a sense of punctuality in their daughters, Malia and Sasha. "If they're doing anything with me, they are early, so they've learned how to snap to it."
The podcast, produced by Higher Ground, the media company founded by the former president and first lady, will feature guest appearances and discussions on a range of topics. A press release described the show as an opportunity for the siblings to share "their opinions and candid perspectives to the everyday questions shaping our lives, relationships, and the world around us."
In another segment, Michelle Obama shared that her brother played a pivotal role in convincing her to support Barack Obama's run for the presidency. Initially, she was strongly against it. "You talked me into supporting his run," she told Robinson.
She recalled telling her husband, "Nope. No way. This is crazy. We've done enough crazy stuff." Robinson explained that his sister's main concern was maintaining a stable family life. "You had grown up with Fraser Robinson," he said, referring to their father. "You wanted your girls to have sort of a similar upbringing with a father who would come home from work and play catch and take them to the park and do all these things."
Robinson recounted how Barack Obama sought his help in persuading Michelle. "And Barack came to me and he's like, you know: 'I can't convince your sister to go along with this,'" Robinson said. "And I'm like: 'Whoa, whoa, go along with what?' And he's like: 'I think I'm gonna run for president.'"
Robinson saw an opportunity to frame the argument differently, telling Obama to step back and let him handle it. "I said: 'Listen, what you have to do is, first of all, let me talk to her-you don't talk to her, let me talk to her!'" He then told Michelle to consider the situation as if it were an athlete refusing to play at the highest level. "I convinced you to not penalize him for being really good at what he does."
His strategy also included convincing their mother, Marian Robinson, that Barack's candidacy was worthwhile. "I talked to you and mom at the same time, and both of you sat there reasonably mad and said I was right," Robinson said, prompting laughter from Michelle.
Barack Obama formally announced his candidacy in February 2007, winning the Democratic nomination before defeating Republican John McCain in the 2008 election.
Michelle Obama said she wanted to start the podcast as a way to engage in meaningful discussions. "There's a lot going on in the world right now. We're living through some really complicated and confusing times," she told her 56.8 million Instagram followers. "Craig is one of the people I turn to whenever I have anything on my mind. He always has the insights, the wisdom, and the humor to get me through anything."
