When President Barack Obama ran for the highest office in America, he ran on a platform of hope — a sentiment he frequently revisited throughout his eight years in office and during his time on the campaign trail for Hillary Clinton. But now, Michelle Obama fears that many Americans are feeling hopeless.
"We feel the difference now. See, now, we are feeling what not having hope feels like," the first lady told Oprah Winfrey in a clip from her final interview as FLOTUS.
The concept of hope wasn't just a superficial idea meant to garner votes, Obama explained. “What else do you have if you don’t have hope? What do you give your kids if you can’t give them hope,” she asked Winfrey. The first lady did not mention President-Elect Trump by name, but she did praise the support and guidance her husband offered the American people during his time as president, noting that the country will surely “come to appreciate” his steady demeanor when there is no longer a "grown-up" in the White House. “Our children respond to crises the way they see us respond," she explained. "You know, it’s like the toddler that bumps his head on the table, and they look up at you to figure out whether it hurts." President Obama, the first lady continued, has been there to be the adult telling the country that everything will be okay. That, in and of itself, is a crucial part of the presidency. “All of this is important for our kids to stay focused," she continued. "And to feel like their work isn’t in vain, that their lives aren’t in vain."
The concept of hope wasn't just a superficial idea meant to garner votes, Obama explained. “What else do you have if you don’t have hope? What do you give your kids if you can’t give them hope,” she asked Winfrey. The first lady did not mention President-Elect Trump by name, but she did praise the support and guidance her husband offered the American people during his time as president, noting that the country will surely “come to appreciate” his steady demeanor when there is no longer a "grown-up" in the White House. “Our children respond to crises the way they see us respond," she explained. "You know, it’s like the toddler that bumps his head on the table, and they look up at you to figure out whether it hurts." President Obama, the first lady continued, has been there to be the adult telling the country that everything will be okay. That, in and of itself, is a crucial part of the presidency. “All of this is important for our kids to stay focused," she continued. "And to feel like their work isn’t in vain, that their lives aren’t in vain."
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