Former President Barack Obama joked that any return to elected office would likely cost him his marriage, saying his wife Michelle Obama “would divorce me” if he attempted a political comeback.
Obama made the remark during a wide-ranging interview reflecting on his post-White House life and political future.
“First of all, I’m not a politician anymore and I can’t be, right?” Obama said. “I mean, I guess technically I could run for, you know, city council or something, but I’m not in elected office. I don’t have levers of power. I’m term limited out. And by the way, I believe in the Constitution and also I believe in my marriage and Michelle would divorce me if I even if I could run again.”
The comment was delivered with humor but underscored his firm position that his time in elected office is over.
Obama emphasized that he respects constitutional term limits and has no desire to reenter the political arena.
He also pointed to the personal toll that years in public office took on his family.
Michelle Obama has previously spoken candidly about the strain political life placed on their marriage and daughters during his rise from Illinois state senator to two-term president.
In the interview, Obama made clear that he and Michelle are now focused on their shared work through the Obama Foundation.
“Michelle and I still have the capacity, not just here in the United States, but globally, to inspire and motivate young people,” he said.
He framed their post-presidential mission as empowering the next generation rather than reclaiming political power.
“That’s going to come from the 20, 30-year-olds who know firsthand what it means to not be able to buy a house,” Obama said. “They’re the ones who are going to remake our institutions.”
The couple’s upcoming Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, scheduled to open in June, will serve as a civic hub and training ground for emerging leaders.
Obama joked that the museum will include a section featuring Michelle’s dresses, acknowledging public fascination with her White House wardrobe, per the Daily Mail.
“There will be a museum with Michelle’s dresses since that’s what people want to see,” he said with a laugh.
Beyond politics, Obama also fielded lighter questions during the interview.
Asked whether aliens are real, he replied, “They’re real, but I haven’t seen them,” before dismissing conspiracy theories that extraterrestrials are hidden at Area 51.
“There’s no underground facility unless there’s this enormous conspiracy and they hid it from the president of the United States,” he said.
The interview also touched on his recent criticism of President Donald Trump over a controversial social media video depicting the Obamas as apes.
Obama warned that American political discourse has devolved into a “clown show” that most citizens find troubling.
While his remarks about divorce were clearly made in jest, they reinforced a consistent theme in Obama’s public statements: his political chapter is closed.
Instead of seeking office again, he says his focus is on family, legacy, and shaping future leaders from outside the halls of power.
