Former First Lady Michelle Obama opened up about her deepest fears in a new podcast interview, saying she worries for immigrants and people of color who she believes are being unfairly targeted under President Donald Trump’s deportation policies.
Speaking with her brother Craig Robinson on Monday’s episode of “On Purpose with Jay Shetty,” Michelle reflected on growing up with fears tied to her race, fears that, she said, have evolved but never disappeared.
“In this current climate, for me it’s, you know, what’s happening to immigrants,” Obama said when asked about the hardest recent test of that fear.
“So 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.”
Her voice grew heavier as she described a deeper anxiety, for those without a recognizable name or powerful advocates.
Obama criticized what she described as leadership that is “indiscriminately determining who belongs and who doesn’t” without proper legal safeguards. “Those decisions aren’t being made with courts and with due process,” she said.
She warned that decisions appear increasingly based on snap judgments: “You don’t look like somebody that belongs. I can determine just by looking at you that you’re a good person or you’re not a good person.”
“And knowing that there’s so much bias and so much racism and so much ignorance that fuels those kinds of choices, I worry for people of color all over this country,” Obama added. “And that frightens me. It keeps me up at night.”
Speaking with her brother Craig Robinson on Monday’s episode of “On Purpose with Jay Shetty,” Michelle reflected on growing up with fears tied to her race, fears that, she said, have evolved but never disappeared.
“In this current climate, for me it’s, you know, what’s happening to immigrants,” Obama said when asked about the hardest recent test of that fear.
“So 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.”
NEW: Michelle Obama says Trump's deportation policy "keeps her up at night," despite the fact that her husband deported more people than any other president.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) April 29, 2025
Remarkable.
President Barack Obama deported a whopping 3,000,000 illegal immigrants, demolishing the… pic.twitter.com/uBOIGdSm9H
Her voice grew heavier as she described a deeper anxiety, for those without a recognizable name or powerful advocates.
Obama criticized what she described as leadership that is “indiscriminately determining who belongs and who doesn’t” without proper legal safeguards. “Those decisions aren’t being made with courts and with due process,” she said.
She warned that decisions appear increasingly based on snap judgments: “You don’t look like somebody that belongs. I can determine just by looking at you that you’re a good person or you’re not a good person.”
“And knowing that there’s so much bias and so much racism and so much ignorance that fuels those kinds of choices, I worry for people of color all over this country,” Obama added. “And that frightens me. It keeps me up at night.”
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