On a recent episode of “The Diary of a CEO”, Michelle Obama pulled back the curtain on life inside America’s most famous residence, and let’s just say — the internet was “not” in a forgiving mood.
The former First Lady, now a bestselling author and media mogul in her own right, opened up about the early days of her husband’s presidency, reminiscing on the financial burden of entering the White House — yes, “financial burden”. According to Michelle, the move came with some sticker shock.
“It’s expensive to live in the White House. Many people don’t know, but much is not covered,” she said, explaining that food, private travel, and even family expenses on the First Lady’s jet had to be covered out-of-pocket.
The comments might’ve seemed like an honest behind-the-scenes anecdote — but in a nation where many Americans are working two jobs just to stay afloat, the idea of a millionaire couple lamenting the price of groceries in the White House didn’t exactly land.
And let’s be real: when your household net worth is hovering somewhere between “$70 million and $135 million”, you’re not going to win any sympathy points for complaining about paying for your own toothpaste.
Social media lit up with frustration. One X user wrote, ““Most of us pay for food, travel, insurance, everything — and we don’t have Secret Service or book deals.”” Another added, ““What makes you so special?””
And it wasn’t just about the grocery bill. The podcast appearance came as Michelle and Barack fend off months of rumors about a rocky patch in their marriage — speculation amplified by Barack showing up solo to Jimmy Carter’s funeral and Trump’s inauguration. Michelle insists there’s no trouble in paradise and chalks the public’s fascination up to something more insidious:
“This year people couldn’t fathom that I was making a choice for myself… they had to assume that my husband and I are divorcing.”
It seems Michelle Obama was trying to offer a candid look at what life is “actually” like inside the White House — the little-known costs, the expectations, the pressure. And to her credit, former First Ladies from Laura Bush to Hillary Clinton have said similar things — how they had to buy their own clothes, pay for personal entertaining, and cover non-official travel costs.
But here’s the rub: when you’re a household name, living in multi-million-dollar homes in Washington, Chicago, Martha’s Vineyard, and Hawaii, some topics are just going to feel a bit tone-deaf — especially when people are trying to afford “eggs”.
Sure, it’s a fascinating peek behind the curtain. But next time you’re talking about struggle, Michelle, the American public might prefer to hear about how you “navigated” it — not how hard it was to be wealthy at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
