Michelle Obama has expressed deep concern over a specific Trump-era policy, admitting it causes her significant anxiety and sleepless nights.
Former First Lady Michelle Obama has shared her deep worries about the treatment of immigrants under President Trump’s deportation policies.
During a recent podcast episode, she discussed how these issues affect everyday people, particularly in her home city of Chicago.
Michelle Obama reveals the Trump-era policy that deeply worries her and disrupts sleep
Fear for immigrants and their struggles
In her conversation on “On Purpose with Jay Shetty,” Michelle Obama explained that her greatest fear is related to the current climate for immigrants.
She noted that while she lives a protected life, she is concerned about the struggles faced by those outside her privileged bubble.
“It’s not the fear for myself anymore,” she continued. “I drive around in a four-car motorcade with a police escort. I’m Michelle Obama.
I do still worry about my daughters in the world, even though they are somewhat recognizable.”
Despite her privileges, she still worries about her daughters and the safety of people in vulnerable situations.
She stressed that “my fears are for what I know is happening out there in streets all over the city.”
Parallel experiences of bias and racism
Michelle Obama also reflected on issues of bias and racism, drawing a parallel between her brother Craig Robinson’s childhood experience and the challenges migrants face today.
Robinson shared a story about being accused of stealing a bike by a police officer, which highlighted the discrimination that many people of color encounter.
“There’s so much bias and so much racism and so much ignorance that fuels those kind of choices,” she bemoaned.
“I worry for people of color all over this country, and I don’t know that we will have the advocates to protect everybody.
“And that … frightens me, it keeps me up at night,” she added.
“How do you how do you feel comfortable going to work, going to school, when you know that there could be people out here judging you and who could upend your life in a second — that’s who I worry for right now.”
Concerns about leadership and policy
While Obama did not mention Trump directly, she criticized the current leadership for making decisions about who belongs in the country without due process.
She expressed discomfort with policies that “indiscriminately determine who belongs and who doesn’t.”
This comment reflects ongoing tensions regarding immigration policies, particularly those that have been accused of bypassing legal channels.
Critics of Trump’s administration have pointed out that policies like the use of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act have led to rapid deportations without the usual protections.
Historical context of deportation
It is worth noting that the Obama administration also deported a significant number of immigrants, which has drawn criticism from some liberal circles.
This history complicates the conversation about immigration and highlights the difficult balance between security and compassion in policy-making.
During the 2024 campaign cycle, Michelle Obama actively supported Kamala Harris and openly criticized Trump’s policies.
She has used her platform to advocate for more humane treatment of immigrants and to call out injustices in the system.
Reflections on inauguration and public perception
Michelle Obama has previously discussed why she chose to skip Trump’s inauguration, revealing that her decision was partly due to not wanting to participate in an event filled with controversy.
“It started with not having anything to wear,” Obama admitted last week on an episode of her podcast “IMO with Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson.”
“I walk around with the right dress, I travel with clothes just in case something pops off. So I was like, if I’m not going to do this thing, I got to tell my team, I don’t even want to have a dress ready, right? Because it’s so easy to just say, let me do the right thing.”
She also addressed the speculation surrounding her marriage, which intensified after she missed important events like the inauguration and the funeral of former President Jimmy Carter.
Obama expressed frustration that people assumed her marriage was in trouble rather than understanding her personal choices.
“My decision to skip the inauguration, what people don’t realize, or my decision to make choices at the beginning of this year that suited me were met with such ridicule and criticism,” she said.
“People couldn’t believe that I was saying no for any other reason, that they had to assume that my marriage was falling apart, you know?”