Barack Obama61, spoke out about the headline-making comments his wife, MichelleObama59, made about the hard times in their marriage, in a 2022 interview. The former Commander-in-Chief admitted that moving “out of the White House” has helped improve their romance greatly, since they have a lot more days to spend together. “Let me just say this: it sure helps to be out of the White House. And to have a little more time with her,” he told CBS Mornings‘ Nate Burleson on Tuesday.

The doting husband said it also helps now that their two daughters, Malia24, and Sasha21, are adults. “Michelle — when our girls were growing up, that was priority number one, two, three and four,” he explained. “And so, I did not fully appreciate, I think, as engaged of a father as I was, the degree of stress and tension for her, knowing that not just me and Michelle were under scrutiny and in this strange environment, but that we were raising our daughters in a kind of situation that just wasn’t normal.”

“Now that they’re doing good, she is a little more forgiving of all my flaws,” he continued “What she’s told me is, you know, ‘Looking back, you did okay as a dad.’ And if I passed that test, then she’ll forgive me most of my other foibles.”

Barack’s comments come after Michelle talked openly about how there were about 10 years when she “couldn’t stand” her husband because of certain factors, in an interview with Revolt. “People think I’m being catty by saying this — it’s like, there were 10 years where I couldn’t stand my husband. And guess when it happened? When those kids were little,” she said.

“And for 10 years while we’re trying to build our careers and, you know, worrying about school and who’s doing what and what, I was like, ‘Ugh, this isn’t even.’ And guess what? Marriage isn’t 50/50, ever, ever,” she continued.

“There are times I’m 70, he’s 30. There are times he’s 60, 40, but guess what? Ten years — we’ve been married 30,” she added. “I would take 10 bad years over 30 — it’s just how you look at it. And people give up … ‘Five years; I can’t take it.’”

Barack and Michelle first met in 1989 and were married by 1992. They welcomed their first child, Malia, in 1998 and their second daughter, Sasha, in 2001. The couple served as the U.S. President and First Lady for two terms from 2009 until 2017.

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