Obama admits political demands caused 'genuine tension' in marriage

Former President Barack Obama said that pressure to take part in the Democratic Party’s campaign efforts after leaving office created “genuine tension” in his marriage to Michelle Obama.

"She wants to see her husband easing up and spending more time with her, enjoying what remains of our lives," the former president said in a profile in The New Yorker published May 4. "It does create a genuine tension in our household, and it frustrates her."

The profile focused on Barack Obama's political presence after his presidency. In the magazine profile, he said that President Donald Trump's "recklessness" caused him to be in the political arena "more than I would have preferred."

"I’m more forgiving of it, in the sense that I understand why people feel that way, because people aren’t looking at me in historical comparison to other presidents," Obama told the magazine. "They don’t care about the fact that no other ex-president was the main surrogate for the party for four election cycles after they left office."

A 2025 Gallup poll found that Barack Obama is the most popular living U.S. president, with nearly 60% approval overall and a 96% favorability rating among Democrats.

A 2025 Gallup poll found that Barack Obama is the most popular of the living presidents, with nearly a 60% approval rating and a 96% favorability rating among Democrats. He argued that making more political appearances would reduce their impact on audiences.

"For me to function like Jon Stewart, even once a week, just going off, just ripping what was happening — which, by the way, I'm glad Jon’s doing it — then I'm not a political leader, I’m a commentator," Barack Obama told the New Yorker.

Obama defends media presence in profile

Barack Obama largely stayed out of the political spotlight during Trump’s first term, even as some Democrats criticized him for vacationing in tony locales with celebrities. Calls for him to engage in politics continue during Trump's second term.

"We don’t see him much, truthfully. I wish we could see him more," Jack Kahn, a real estate manager who heard him speak at a New Jersey campaign rally in 2025, told the magazine.

But Barack Obama pointed to his appearances in non-traditional media as a way to reach audiences that may not be engaged with political news.

"Obama will talk about things, and there will be video clips that are interesting to people, because it’s not like a droning on in a political speech," David Plouffe, a longtime advisor to the former president, told the New Yorker.

Barack Obama has become a figure in redistricting fights ahead of the 2026 midterms, supporting measures in California and Virginia that tilted those states' congressional maps towards Democrats in response to Republican run states redrawing their maps.

Obama on Iran war: Netanyahu got 'what he wanted' from Trump

Barack Obama also disclosed in the profile that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made the same arguments for a confrontation with Iran that led Trump to launch the U.S.-Israeli war on the country.

He told the magazine that he felt his "prognosis" of what would happen in a conflict was "accurate" but that Netanyahu had "gotten what he wanted" from Trump.

"Whether that’s what is ultimately best for the Israeli people, I would question that," Obama said. "Whether I think it’s what is good for the United States and America, I would question that."

The interview was published the same day as the United States launched "Project Freedom," an operation aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping. Military officials said six small Iranian boats were sunk during the operation.