Conservative commentator Meghan McCain has reignited speculation about former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama’s supposedly troubled marriage which is rumored to be heading towards divorce. She recently claimed on an episode of a podcast that a divorce is due soon and that the confirmations came from “very serious journalists.”
In her conversation with Puck senior political correspondent Tara Palmeri on Wednesday, McCain shared: “I have been hearing this rumor that the Obamas are getting a divorce by reputable people. I’m not talking about TMZ. I’m not talking about Perez Hilton, although I love him, he’s my friend. I’m talking about like very serious journalists telling me that they’re hearing that the Obama divorce rumors are true.”
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Palmeri, who has her ear to the ground in Washington, corroborated the claims about the Obama divorce. She stated: “We’ve heard that for a long time. Like I just heard that they live separate lives.” She also added that her sources are deeply embedded in the political sphere and speculated that there are high chances that the rumors may be politically motivated.
Palmeri hinted that Barack and Michelle Obama may be leading independent lives at this stage in their marriage. She noted Michelle’s long-documented disdain for politics, saying: “She clearly has very little interest—she’s always hated politics! She did not really like being First Lady.”
The divorce rumors have been swirling for months. They were further amplified when Michelle Obama wasn’t spotted at key events as she skipped Donald Trump’s recent inauguration without explanation and also cited “scheduling conflicts” when she missed former President Jimmy Carter’s funeral.
Barack Obama’s birthday tribute to Michelle on January 17 via Twitter, could’ve been an attempt to quell the whispers but, for McCain, it seemed to do the opposite.
Obama’s post featured a photo of himself and Michelle sitting across from each other at a table, holding hands. He captioned it: “Happy birthday to the love of my life, @MichelleObama. You fill every room with warmth, wisdom, humor, and grace—and you look good doing it. I’m so lucky to be able to take on life’s adventures with you. Love you!”
Love you, honey! ❤️😘 https://t.co/fiQaCYmQ02
— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) January 17, 2025
However, McCain wasn’t convinced. She took a dig at the quality of the photo and implied it might not be a very convincing way to dispel rumors. “I would kill Ben if he put a picture of me looking like no makeup with that lighting on social media,” she joked, referring to her husband Ben Domenech.
Palmeri also speculated on the timing of these rumors. According to her, the lingering political tensions may be the reason the gossip is persisting. She commented on Barack Obama’s alleged influence in pushing Joe Biden to the forefront and theorized that the lack of goodwill toward him might be what is pushing the narrative.
“I am not at home with them, but it’s not really surprising at this phase of their life,” Palmeri said, noting that the rumors might simply be a natural reflection of the evolution of a big-shot relationship.
The Obamas, married since 1992, have long been seen as a model couple in the public eye. However, with consistent speculation about their personal lives and a divisive political scenario, the rumors about their marriage show no signs of subsiding. For now, there’s no official announcement yet from the couple on the chatter which has left room for endless speculation.
