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Tag: barack obama
July 25, 2025
Christopher Tomlinson
SCOTUS

Trump: Obama ‘Owes Me Big’ Over SCOTUS Immunity Ruling.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump says former President Barack Obama “owes” him for a Supreme Court ruling that affirmed the immunity of presidents amid accusations of criminality regarding Russiagate.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald J. Trump, former President Barack Obama, Obama administration officials, Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard.

📍WHEN & WHERE: President Trump made the statements on July 25

💬KEY QUOTE: “He’s done criminal acts, there’s no question about it. But he has immunity, and it probably helps him a lot… he owes me big, Obama owes me big,” Trump said.

🎯IMPACT: The SCOTUS ruling could prevent Obama from facing any criminal liability, but other former administration members may not get the same protection.

IN FULL

President Donald J. Trump said on Friday that former President Barack Hussein Obama “owes me big” following a Supreme Court ruling that affirmed broad presidential immunity. The statement comes after Trump accused Obama of being the “ringleader” of Russiagate and called for a criminal investigation.

On July 22, following the release of new evidence by Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard, Trump said that Obama and members of his administration had “manufactured” intelligence to tie him to Russia. “He’s done criminal acts, there’s no question about it. But he has immunity, and it probably helps him a lot… He owes me big, Obama owes me big,” Trump said July 25, adding: “It probably helps him a lot… the immunity ruling, but it doesn’t help the people around him at all.”

The House Intelligence Committee concluded that the U.S. intelligence community lacked direct evidence in 2016 that Russian President Vladimir Putin aimed to help Trump win the presidency. Despite this, the committee alleges that under “unusual” orders from then-President Obama, U.S. agencies disseminated “potentially biased” intelligence.

A declassified report prepared by the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and dated September 18, 2020, revealed that just five Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) analysts, directed by senior intelligence officials and political appointees, produced the Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) published shortly before Trump’s inauguration.

“The draft was not properly coordinated within CIA or the IC, ensuring it would be published without significant challenges to its conclusions,” the committee report noted. It further noted that the 2017 ICA was rushed to completion, driven by pressure from then-CIA Director John Brennan and others to include the bogus anti-Trump Steele Dossier, which was “based largely on internet rumor.”

Tulsi Gabbard said this week that “deep state obstacles” had delayed the release of this information. “There are a lot of deep state actors still here within Washington. President Trump wants us to find the truth. I want to find that truth. The American people deserve the truth, and they deserve accountability,” Gabbard said.

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July 23, 2025
Corruption
News

Tulsi Gabbard: Documents Declassified Today Prove Obama ‘Coup.’

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has accused former President Barack Obama of manufacturing evidence to suggest Russian interference in the 2016 election and released more documents to support her claims.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Tulsi Gabbard, Barack Obama, James Comey, John Brennan, James Clapper, Hillary Clinton, and others.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Claims focus on a December 9, 2016, National Security Council meeting and subsequent events, with recent developments occurring in July 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “It is essential that for the future of our nation and our democratic republic, that accountability must occur.” – Tulsi Gabbard

🎯IMPACT: The allegations have sparked further political division, with critics accusing Gabbard of distraction tactics and supporters calling for accountability in intelligence operations.

IN FULL

U.S. Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard has said that former President Barack Obama orchestrated a scheme to manufacture evidence implicating Russia in aiding President Donald J. Trump during the 2016 presidential election. Gabbard has released additional documents to substantiate her claims, which involve senior Obama administration officials, including former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director James Comey, former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director John Brennan, and former DNI James Clapper.

“We will be releasing further documents tomorrow that will refute that statement,” she said on Tuesday night. “We will be pulling a whole host of statements that were made by the Obama administration, by Hillary Clinton, by senior Democrat officials, by their friends in the media that state, over and over again, after this January 2017 manufactured intelligence document was created, that repeat the narrative.”

The newly declassified evidence comes from a House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence staff report, with Gabbard saying it “exposes how the Obama Administration manufactured the January 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment that they knew was false, promoting the LIE that Vladimir Putin and the Russian government helped President Trump win the 2016 election.”

“In doing so, they conspired to subvert the will of the American people, working with their partners in the media to promote the lie, in order to undermine the legitimacy of President Trump, essentially enacting a years-long coup against him,” she added.

President Trump has said it is “time to go after people” for attempting to negate his first presidency, telling the media on Tuesday, The witch hunt that you should be talking about is they caught President Obama absolutely cold… They tried to rig the election, and they got caught—and there should be very severe consequences for that.”

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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July 22, 2025
Christopher Tomlinson
Corruption

WATCH: ‘It’s Time to Go After People’ — Trump Wants Action Against Obama.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump has accused former President Barack Obama and other former officials of “treason” over the Russiagate hoax.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald J. Trump, former President Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director James Comey, former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director John Brennan, former Director of National Intelligence (DNI) James Clapper, current DNI Tulsi Gabbard, and Attorney General Pam Bondi.

📍WHEN & WHERE: President Trump made the remarks during a meeting with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., on July 22.

💬KEY QUOTE: “After what they did to me, and whether it’s right or wrong, it’s time to go after people.” – President Trump

🎯IMPACT: The statement could spur Attorney General Pam Bondi to begin laying the groundwork for Obama and others to be prosecuted.

IN FULL

President Donald J. Trump leveled serious accusations against former President Barack Obama on July 22, calling him the orchestrator of a plot to subvert his 2016 election victory. During a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office with Filipino President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., Trump responded to media questions on recently declassified documents suggesting that high-level officials from the Obama administration, former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director James Comey, former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director John Brennan, and former Director of National Intelligence (DNI) James Clapper, conspired to create and manipulate the Trump-Russia investigation.

“After what they did to me, and whether it’s right or wrong, it’s time to go after people,” Trump said. “The witch hunt that you should be talking about is they caught President Obama absolutely cold… They tried to rig the election, and they got caught—and there should be very severe consequences for that,” he added.

In a separate post on Truth Social on Monday, Trump directly accused Obama of being the architect of the “Russia, Russia, Russia HOAX,” branding it “The CRIME of the CENTURY!”

“Obama himself manufactured the Russia, Russia, Russia HOAX. Crooked Hillary [Clinton], Sleepy Joe [Biden], and numerous others participated in this, THE CRIME OF THE CENTURY!. Irrefutable EVIDENCE. A major threat to our Country!!!” Trump wrote.

The America First leader also singled out several other prominent figures, including Hillary Clinton, former President Joe Biden, James Clapper, and James Comey, insisting they should face serious consequences for election interference.

“They tried to rig the election, and they got caught, and there should be very severe consequences,” he told reporters during the six-minute exchange.

Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard has reportedly referred Obama administration officials to the Department of Justice for attempting to undermine the results of the 2016 election. According to Gabbard, Obama directed intelligence agencies to fabricate an assessment on Russian election interference without supporting evidence.

Gabbard’s referral also accused the group of relying on discredited material, including content from the bogus Steele Dossier, which was partially funded by Clinton-aligned interests, to fuel the Russia narrative. That information, she claimed, was strategically leaked to corporate media outlets such as The Washington Post and The New York Times to drive public opinion and damage Trump’s credibility.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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July 21, 2025
Crime
News

Gabbard Submits Criminal Referral for Obama Officials to DOJ.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Department of Justice (DOJ) confirmed it received a criminal referral from Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard to investigate Obama-era officials over alleged politicized intelligence in the Trump-Russia probe.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Tulsi Gabbard, former President Barack Obama, and officials from the Obama administration.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The referral was confirmed on Monday, following Gabbard’s declassification of documents last week.

🎯IMPACT: The investigation could reignite scrutiny over the origins of the Trump-Russia collusion narrative and its handling by the Obama administration.

IN FULL

The Department of Justice (DOJ) confirmed on Monday that it received a criminal referral sent by Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard to investigate Obama-era officials for “manufactured and politicized intelligence” regarding the Trump-Russia probe. Last week, Gabbard declassified documents that she claims implicate former President Barack Obama in the bogus allegations that Trump’s 2016 campaign colluded with Russia to interfere in the election.

On Friday, Gabbard described the declassified documents as exposing “a treasonous conspiracy by officials at the highest levels of the Obama White House to subvert the will of the American people and try to usurp the President from fulfilling his mandate.” She also promised that this was just the beginning: “We will be releasing more detailed information about how exactly this took place, and the extent to which this information was sought to be hidden from the American people.”

Additionally, the Director of National Intelligence indicated that criminal referrals were likely, which has now been confirmed.

Over the weekend, President Donald J. Trump shared an AI-generated video clip depicting the FBI arresting Obama in the Oval Office, with Obama shown handcuffed and brought to his knees in front of a smiling Trump.

Meanwhile, Trump applauded Gabbard’s move to declassify the files while reacting to a cable news discussion of the matter, writing on his Truth Social platform, “The Panel was fantastic on prosecuting Obama and the ‘thugs’ who have just been unequivocally exposed on highest level Election Fraud. Congratulations to Tulsi Gabbard. Keep it coming!!!”

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July 21, 2025
News
Politics

Trump Shares AI-Generated Video of Obama Being Arrested.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump shared an AI-generated video depicting former President Barack Hussein Obama being arrested in front of him at the White House, following revelations from Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard regarding Obama’s involvement in the Trump-Russia collusion hoax.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Trump, former President Obama, DNI Gabbard.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The video was shared on Truth Social over the weekend.

💬KEY QUOTE: “These documents detail a treasonous conspiracy by officials at the highest levels of the Obama White House to subvert the will of the American people and try to usurp the President from fulfilling his mandate.” – Tulsi Gabbard

🎯IMPACT: The video and revelations have sparked significant debate, with Trump supporters praising the disclosures and calling for arrests.

IN FULL

President Donald J. Trump posted an AI-generated video on Truth Social that shows former President Barack Obama being arrested, handcuffed, and taken to prison over the weekend. The clip follows recent accusations from Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democratic presidential candidate and the current Director of National Intelligence (DNI), who has publicly accused Obama of orchestrating a high-level effort to undermine Trump’s first presidency via the Russiagate hoax.

Gabbard said that newly released documents expose what she called “a treasonous conspiracy by officials at the highest levels of the Obama White House to subvert the will of the American people and try to usurp the President from fulfilling his mandate.” She also promised that this was just the beginning: “We will be releasing more detailed information about how exactly this took place, and the extent to which this information was sought to be hidden from the American people.”

Trump applauded Gabbard while reacting to a cable news segment in which White House spokesman Harrison Fields and others discussed the revelations, writing on his Truth Social platform, “The Panel was fantastic on prosecuting Obama and the ‘thugs’ who have just been unequivocally exposed on highest level Election Fraud. Congratulations to Tulsi Gabbard. Keep it coming!!!”

WATCH

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July 21, 2025
Wake Up Right
News

Obama Committed ‘Treasonous Conspiracy.’

Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard dropped a political bombshell on Friday, revealing newly declassified documents that she says prove a “treasonous conspiracy directed by President Obama.”

The details: Gabbard declassified hundreds of pages of emails and government documents from the weeks between President Donald Trump’s 2016 election victory and his inauguration, which show that Obama and top intelligence officials set up the Russia collusion scandal that plagued his first term. Here’s the timeline:

🗓️ December 8: In what would have been the Presidential Daily Brief, then-DNI Director James Clapper wrote: “We assess that Russia and criminal actors did not impact recent US election results.” The brief did highlight one instance in Illinois where Moscow tried, but failed to hack election systems.

  • Gabbard says, “Before it could reach the President, it was abruptly pulled “based on new guidance.” This key intelligence assessment was never published.”

🗓️ December 9: Obama met with heads of the intelligence agencies, including FBI Director James Comey, CIA Director John Brennan, DNI Director Clapper, and others.

  • E-mails show that following this meeting, they were directed to “produce an assessment per the President’s request” that highlights the tactics Russia tried to use in 2016.

🗓️ December 9: Obama officials began leaking to the media to advance the story they concocted in their meeting with the president.

  • The Washington Post wrote: “The CIA has concluded in a secret assessment that Russia intervened in the 2016 election to help Donald Trump win the presidency.”

🗓️ January 6: Two weeks before Trump took office, DNI Clapper finally published the Presidential Daily Brief that had been paused on December 8, but this time it concluded that: “Putin and the Russian Government aspired to help President-elect Trump’s election chances when possible by discrediting Secretary Clinton and publicly contrasting her unfavorably to him.”

What happened next is history. The Mueller special counsel, impeachments, years of bulls*it, hanging over Trump’s first term.

Treason: Gabbard reacted to the finding, going as far as to tell Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo that “this treasonous conspiracy was directed by President Obama… after President Trump had already gotten elected.

It’s worth noting: As president-elect, this brief would have also gone to Donald Trump — reinforcing why Obama would not have wanted it to go out in its original form.

Trump reacts? Sort of. He hasn’t said anything directly, but he did re-post several memes on Truth Social, including one AI-generated video of Obama being arrested with YMCA music playing.

TLDR: U.S. intel agencies first found no Russian impact on the 2016 election. After an Obama-led meeting, the assessment was revised to say Moscow helped Trump—triggering three years of investigations that dogged his presidency.

What happens next? Gabbard said: “There must be indictments. Those responsible, no matter how powerful… they all must be held accountable” and referred it to the Department of Justice.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard dropped a political bombshell on Friday, revealing newly declassified documents that she says prove a “treasonous conspiracy directed by President Obama.” show more
Purchased by The National Pulse
July 1, 2025
Politics

Obama White House Aide Who Wished Death on Trump Joins Zohran Mamdani’s Team.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A former Obama administration staffer who wished death on President Donald J. Trump is now consulting for Zohran Kwame Mamdani’s mayoral campaign in New York City.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Zara Rahim, Zohran Mamdani, and President Trump.

📍WHEN & WHERE: New York City, during Mamdani’s mayoral campaign in 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “It’s been against my moral identity to tweet this for the past four years, but, I hope he dies.” – Zara Rahim, October 2020.

🎯IMPACT: Rahim’s hiring raises questions about Mamdani’s political extremism.

IN FULL

A former Obama White House staffer, Zara Rahim, who once publicly wished death on President Donald J. Trump, has taken on a new role as a communications consultant for Zohran Kwame Mamdani, the Democratic Socialist mayoral candidate in New York City. Mamdani, a Uganda-born Muslim extremist who has advocated for “seizing the means of production,” recently secured the Democratic nomination for mayor, making him the frontrunner for the November general election. Campaign finance records show Rahim was paid $3,500 for her consulting work in May.

Rahim gained attention in October 2020 when she posted on X (formerly Twitter), “It’s been against my moral identity to tweet this for the past four years, but, I hope he dies,” referring to President Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis at the time. Though she later deleted the post, her controversial statements have resurfaced as she works closely with Mamdani, including crafting campaign materials and assisting during his media appearances.

Rahim, a Bangladeshi immigrant, previously worked for Barack Obama’s Office of Digital Strategy and Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign. Her other clients have included corporations like Netflix, Nike, and Uber. She has also been vocal on social media, criticizing America and expressing support for the “Defund the Police” movement, a position shared by Mamdani.

Other controversial figures in Mamdani’s campaign include Julian Gerson, his political director, who praised the alleged murderer of a healthcare executive, and Matthew Thomas, a former staffer with a criminal record for soliciting a minor.

Image by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images.

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June 10, 2025
Corruption
Politics

Obama’s White House Doctor Criticizes Biden’s Physician for Skipping Cognitive Test.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: Former President Barack Obama’s White House physician, Jeffrey Kuhlman, suggested President Joe Biden’s doctor should have conducted a cognitive test to evaluate Biden’s fitness for office.

👥 Who’s Involved: Dr. Jeffrey Kuhlman, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, President Joe Biden, President Donald J. Trump, Special Counsel Robert Hur, and House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer.

📍 Where & When: Washington, D.C.; comments over this past weekend.

💬 Key Quote: “Sometimes those closest to the tree miss the forest. It shouldn’t be just health, it should be fitness. Fitness is: Do you have that robust mind, body, spirit that you can do this physically, mentally, emotionally demanding job?” said Dr. Jeffrey Kuhlman.

⚠️ Impact: House Republicans are investigating allegations that White House officials worked to cover up Joe Biden’s alleged cognitive decline, with subpoenas issued for the octogenarian Democrat’s doctor and senior aides.

IN FULL:

Former President Barack Obama‘s White House physician, Dr. Jeffrey Kuhlman, has raised concerns about the lack of cognitive testing for President Joe Biden during his time in office. Speaking to The Washington Post, Kuhlman suggested that Biden’s physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, should have performed a cognitive evaluation, particularly given Biden’s advanced age. O’Connor, who has served as Biden’s doctor since 2009, declared in a 2024 health report that the then-81-year-old president was “fit for duty,” but the report did not include neurocognitive testing.

“Sometimes those closest to the tree miss the forest,” Kuhlman said. “It shouldn’t be just health, it should be fitness. Fitness is: Do you have that robust mind, body, spirit that you can do this physically, mentally, emotionally demanding job?” Kuhlman, who left the White House Medical Unit in 2013, described O’Connor as a “good doctor” but noted the possibility of future investigations revealing more details.

“I didn’t see that he’s purposely hiding stuff, but I don’t know that,” the Obama White House doctor said, adding: “Maybe the investigation will show it.”

Dr. Kuhlman’s comments come as House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer (R-KY) has issued a subpoena for O’Connor to testify later this month. The inquiry focuses on allegations of a cover-up regarding Biden’s cognitive state and potential unauthorized use of executive powers. Comer’s letter to O’Connor also raised questions about whether financial ties to the Biden family influenced the physician’s assessments.

President Donald J. Trump has also weighed in, ordering Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate claims that Biden’s aides misused an autopen to conceal his cognitive decline. Trump described the allegations as “one of the most dangerous and concerning scandals in American history.”

Special Counsel Robert Hur’s February 2024 report highlighted instances of Biden’s memory lapses, including an inability to recall key dates and events, though Hur ultimately recommended against prosecution.

Concerns about Biden’s mental acuity have extended beyond Republican circles. A recent book by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Axios’ Alex Thompson detailed internal Democratic Party debates over Biden’s capacity to govern, with one excerpt claiming, “Five people were running the country, and Joe Biden was at best a senior member of the board.”

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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May 30, 2025
William Upton
Lawfare

Disgraced Dem Senator Admits Lawfare Started with Obama and Biden.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: Disgraced former Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) says that it was his own Democratic Party, under the former Obama-Biden administration, that weaponized the Department of Justice (DOJ) to execute lawfare campaigns against political enemies.

👥 Who’s Involved: Former Sen. Robert Menendez, former President Barack Obama, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), and federal prosecutors.

📍 Where & When: Menendez made the allegations in a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, May 30, 2025.

💬 Key Quote: “People talk about the Trump DOJ, but it was the Democrats who started weaponizing the Justice Dept,” Menendez wrote.

⚠️ Impact: The claims made by the New Jersey Democrat underpin allegations by Republicans and President Donald J. Trump that the Democratic Party used the DOJ to target its political enemies and prevent Trump’s reelection in 2024. However, it is essential to note that Menendez himself has political motivations to undermine the successful DOJ corruption prosecution against him.

IN FULL:

Former U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), who was sentenced to 11 years in prison in January this year on charges of bribery, extortion, conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and acting as an unregistered foreign agent, is claiming that it was his own Democratic Party that weaponized the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to execute politically motivated lawfare campaigns. In a series of posts made Friday on X (formerly Twitter), the disgraced New Jersey Democrat pointed the finger at former President Barack Obama for upending the allegedly nonpartisan culture of the DOJ and weaponizing the agency to target political enemies.

“People talk about the Trump DOJ, but it was the Democrats who started weaponizing the Justice Dept,” Menendez wrote, revealing: “When, as the Chairman of the SFRC, I didn’t go along with Obama’s Iran deal, I was indicted, and the next day after being stripped of my position, Obama announced the Iran deal.”

Menendez continued: “Obama told me that he could not have the Democratic Chairman of the SFRC be against him. By having me removed as the Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Obama removed my major opposition to his Iran deal. It was a bad deal for the U.S. and for our ally, Israel.”

The once-powerful Democrat Senator argued that the 2015 corruption indictment brought against him by the Obama DOJ was never meant to achieve a conviction but merely to damage his reputation and prevent him from derailing the Iran deal. Notably, the 2015 charges were eventually dropped by federal prosecutors.

Menendez concluded, writing: “So when Democrats talk about weaponizing the Justice Dept, they should look into their own past actions. Obama was willing to use the Justice Department to pursue and preserve the legacy issue he felt would earn him the Nobel Prize he had received.”

The National Pulse reported in September 2023 that Menendez and his wife, Nadine, were indicted by a federal grand jury on corruption charges stemming from their efforts to assist a donor facing legal proceedings and the political interests of the Egyptian government. After a lengthy investigation, Menendez was convicted on 16 counts of public corruption in July 2024.

Image by Christopher Dilts for Organizing for America.

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April 23, 2025
News

Michelle Obama Admits Putting Her Feelings Before the Country in Missing Trump’s Inauguration.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: Former First Lady Michelle Obama discussed her choice to skip President Donald J. Trump’s inauguration and the ensuing rumors.

👥 Who’s Involved: Michelle Obama, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and several past U.S. presidents, including Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.

📍 Where & When: The discussion was held during an episode of the podcast IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson, released recently.

💬 Key Quote: “My decision to skip the inauguration, what people don’t realize, or my decision to make choices at the beginning of this year that suited me were met with such ridicule and criticism,” Michelle Obama complained.

⚠️ Impact: Mrs. Obama’s absence led to public speculation about her personal life and sparked rumors of marital issues with Barack Obama.

IN FULL:

Former First Lady Michelle Obama has spoken publicly about her voluntary absence from President Donald J. Trump’s inauguration in January, explaining her reasons during a recent episode of the low-rated IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson. The decision sparked rumors about her personal life with former President Barack Obama, who once wrote that he “make[s] love to men daily… in the imagination.”

During a discussion with actress Taraji P. Henson, Mrs. Obama elaborated on her reasoning, emphasizing it as a personal choice. “My decision to skip the inauguration, what people don’t realize, or my decision to make choices at the beginning of this year that suited me, were met with such ridicule and criticism,” she stated. “People couldn’t believe that I was saying ‘no’ for any other reason, that they had to assume that my marriage was falling apart, you know.”

Speculation of possible marital discord was widespread after Mrs. Obama no-showed at the inauguration, particularly after former President Obama also appeared at former President Jimmy Carter’s funeral alone.

“I’m here really trying to own my life and intentionally practice making the choice that was right for me,” Mrs. Obama insisted, adding that it “took everything in my power to not do the thing that was right, or that was perceived as right, but do the thing that was right for me. That was a hard thing for me to do.”

On April 3, former President Obama admitted he was “in a deep deficit with my wife” during his time in office. Speaking at Hamilton College, he revealed he has “been trying to dig myself out of that hole” since then by doing “fun things.”

In 2022, Mrs. Obama admitted “there were 10 years where I couldn’t stand my husband”—roughly a third of their marriage.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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