He’s got jokes.
Michelle Obama said her husband, Barack Obama, joked she was “next up” after her mom, Marian Robinson, passed away at age 86 in May 2024.
During Wednesday’s episode of the former first lady and her brother Craig Robinson’s “IMO” podcast, Michelle recalled a conversation she had with the 44th president of the US.
“I guess if anything, with mom’s loss, I think that — thank God you’re my big brother and I have a husband who’s older,” she told Craig, 63.
“Barack was saying, you know, ‘Well, you’re next up.’ I was like, ‘I’m not really ready to be next up.’ I told him, ‘You’re next up and Craig is next up.’ I delegate that power to you,” Michelle, 61, shared.
The “Becoming” author and her older brother revealed that Marian has been “preparing” them for when she would no longer be alive.
“The listeners should know that mom’s been threatening to drop dead for 20 years,” the former Oregon State University basketball coach said.
“She has been preparing us for this. So, she left very direct instructions on what she wanted and how she wanted things to be. We had to take that into account.”
Michelle and Craig — who also lost their father, Fraser C. Robinson III, in March 1991 — said there were “big shoes to fill” after their parents’ deaths.
“It’s a major shift in your life. I don’t care how old you get. Mom and Dad are Mom and Dad,” Michelle said.
“Even when I was taking care of Mom, I still gotta listen to her. I can sort of boss her around but in the end, she’s my mother.”
The Harvard Law School graduate added, “There’s a comfort level in that, knowing that no matter how wise or experienced I am in the world, mom always knew more.”
Michelle has shared many revelations about her marriage to Barack, also 63, on her podcast.
In March, the “Waffles + Mochi” alum revealed that the politician’s lack of punctuality has gotten on her nerves over the years.
And last month, Michelle chatted about dating Barack before he became financially stable.
“I left my corporate firm when I met Barack,” she explained on the April 2 episode of her “IMO” podcast. “I had somebody who was like, ‘I got your back. The risks you think you’re taking, they aren’t that crazy, and I’m here to help you.’”