Michelle admitted Barack struggled with this well into their marriage
Getting a marriage to work can be difficult and Michelle Obama admitted from the get-go there was something about Barack that frustrated her.
Michelle and Barack Obama tied the knot in 1992, but even after decades together, marriage still comes with its quirks. In a recent podcast, the former First Lady revealed one particularly annoying habit of Barack’s that she had to learn to live with.
While no partner is perfect—even a former president—Michelle didn’t hold back when sharing the one thing Barack has consistently struggled with throughout their relationship. Speaking on her podcast, IMO, she gave listeners an inside look at a challenge that even the most powerful couple in the world isn’t immune to.
Michelle Obama gave fans a candid and humorous glimpse into her marriage, revealing one habit of Barack’s that used to drive her up the wall: his relaxed approach to time.
“Barack, you know, he had to adjust to what ‘on time’ was for me,” she confessed on her podcast, IMO.
Joking about his Hawaiian roots, she added, “Because he was on that island time.” And just how bad was it? According to Michelle, when they were supposed to be leaving at 3 o’clock, Barack would only just start getting ready.
“I’ve got this husband who’s like, when it’s time to leave, it’s 3, he’s getting up and going to the bathroom,” she vented. “And I was like, dude, dude, a 3 o’clock departure means you’ve done all that. Don’t start looking for your glasses at 3 o’clock!”
Thankfully, Michelle admitted that Barack has gotten better over their 30 years of marriage. Meanwhile, their daughters, Malia and Sasha, have learned an important rule—if they’re doing something with their mom, they better be early.
As for meeting up with their dad? Something tells us he’s a little more laid-back about it.
Interestingly, Michelle has admitted before that Barack’s questionable punctuality was something that rubbed her the wrong way even in their early dating days. Clearly, some habits take time to break!
Michelle Obama’s frustration with Barack’s casual approach to timekeeping wasn’t just a marriage quirk—it started the very first day they met.
In a 2018 interview, she recalled how his lateness made a terrible first impression when they met at a Chicago law firm in 1989. Speaking to ABC News, she admitted, “I was like, is he trifling? The Black man’s going to be late on the first day? I was like, ‘Um…'”
And it seems Barack’s relaxed relationship with the clock didn’t exactly improve once he became the most powerful man in the world.
In 2014, The Washington Post dug into public data and found that, during his time in the White House, the former president racked up over 35 hours of lateness to his own scheduled engagements.
Some habits die hard—even in the Oval Office!
