Fox News host Laura Ingraham said on air that former first lady Michelle Obama was “right” about food access issues. This marked a shift from years of criticism as she talked about new federal dietary guidance promoted by the Trump administration.
Ingraham made her comments during a segment of The Ingraham Angle focused on a new federal food pyramid announced earlier in the day by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins. The updated guidance highlights protein sources like red meat, fish, and poultry, along with fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats. It places less emphasis on grains such as bread and cereal.
Kennedy and Rollins described the revised pyramid as part of the administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” initiative under President Donald Trump. Ingraham called the changes “a major MAHA win” before shifting the discussion to affordability and access.
During the segment, Rollins addressed concerns that healthier diets are not affordable for working-class families. She said a balanced meal of protein, vegetables, whole grains, and milk can cost between $3 and $4. She argued that this is cheaper than many fast-food options. Rollins added that the administration is trying to solve access issues in underserved communities without grocery stores that offer fresh food.
As Rollins spoke about communities lacking nearby supermarkets, Ingraham reminded viewers of terminology popularized during the Obama administration. “Michelle Obama used to call them ‘food deserts,’” Ingraham stated.
Ingraham: Michelle Obama used to call them food deserts. I used to poke fun at her. Was she right?
Rollins: Part of that is correct.
Ingraham: We take it all back. She is right pic.twitter.com/yvswE5T2uk
— Acyn (@Acyn) January 8, 2026
Obama made food deserts a central issue in her Let’s Move! campaign, which she launched in 2010 to fight childhood obesity and improve access to healthy food. The initiative received sharp criticism from conservative media of the time, including Ingraham, who urged Republicans to resist it and mocked the idea in later years.
Reflecting on her past during a recent broadcast, Ingraham admitted her previous criticism. “I used to kind of poke fun of her for that,” she said. “Maybe she is right?”
Rollins confirmed that parts of Obama’s assessment were accurate. Ingraham then went further, saying, “OK, so we take it all back. She’s right.”
This exchange marked a significant change from Ingraham’s earlier views. In 2011, she dismissed Obama’s focus on food deserts and criticized the former first lady’s nutrition advocacy. These comments were part of a broader backlash from conservative commentators at that time.
The moment quickly gained attention online, highlighting the contrast between conservative support for Kennedy’s “Make America Healthy Again” agenda and previous opposition to Obama’s nutrition and food access efforts. Obama’s initiative included the release of a federal “food desert locator” tool in 2011 to identify areas with limited access to affordable, healthy food.
The discussion occurred as the administration continues to promote the new dietary guidelines as part of its health policy effort. There are debates about whether affordability and access will limit their effectiveness in low-income and rural communities.
Ingraham did not say whether Fox News would revisit its previous coverage of Obama’s nutrition initiatives and the segment later moved on to other topics.
