Michelle Obama Says President Was A ‘Bum’ When They Were In School, Didn’t Take Education Seriously


Michelle Obama openly said that the president was a “bum” during their school years. For lack of a better word, Michelle said this about her husband because his mind just wasn’t that into his education until he “figured” out a lot of things for himself after growing up without a father.

CNN reports that the first lady appeared on BET’s talk show, The Real, when she talked about her husband’s past during their years in school.

“Barack fooled around in high school,” she said.

Michelle Obama was on the show to discuss her program, “Better Make Room,” a project that encourages students between the ages of 14 and 19 to seek higher education. It’s one of the first lady’s passions, and she’s urging America’s youth to pursue continuing education.

When she interviewed on the show, she explained that even the nation’s president was lagging in school.

“He didn’t take school seriously in high school,” Michelle said. “He barely got his work done. He was a bum! And it took him a second. He had to grow up a little bit.”

President Obama didn’t get serious about his education until he transferred to Columbia University during his second year of college.

Michelle Obama may have referred to her husband as a “bum” while they were in school, but he eventually realized he had to get it together if he was going to go anywhere in life. The first lady used this instance as an example to others that it’s never too late to get serious about education.

“It’s never too late,” Michelle said. “The president of the United States screwed around in high school. And he still got his act together. He did okay.”

As the Huffington Post reports, Michelle also offered advice on The Real to parents about how they can best deal with the anxiety of sending their kids away to school. She said that the best thing her parents did was “nurture” her and hold her “tight” before letting go. They supported her by letting her go. As hard as it is for parents, they need to learn how to let go of their older children. She explained that this is what fosters independence for kids.

“The best thing my parents did for me was to nurture me and hold me tight and then let me go, and then support me in letting me go,” Michelle Obama said. “By that, I mean I talk to parents about this all the time. You know, you let them practice now and then, you got to practice letting go. I loved my kids at every age, but watching them become independent… mature, poised adults who are now my friends… that has been one of the best things to experience and you don’t get that if you are trying to hold them too tight.”

The president and first lady are at that point in their lives with their 17-year-old daughter, Malia Obama. She’s set to graduate from the private Sidwell Friends School in Washington this spring. Malia has toured six Ivy Leagues schools, including Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Brown, and the University of Pennsylvania. Other schools that she’s visited are the University of California, Berkeley, and Stanford.

President Obama admitted recently that he was “freaked out” when Malia started her senior year. He added that he declined an offer to speak at Malia’s high school graduation because he’d cry.

Michelle Obama joking called the president a “bum” when he was in school, but clearly, he turned things around after serious self-evaluation.

[Photo by Cliff Owen/AP]

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