Obama confesses Trump has caused 'tension' in his marriage after Michelle issues dramatic plea

By VICTORIA CHURCHILL, US POLITICAL REPORTER Published: 21:49, 4 May 2026 | Updated: 21:49, 4 May 2026 Former President Barack Obama has offered a rare and candid glimpse into his marriage - and it turns out Donald Trump is causing trouble at home. In a new interview with The New Yorker, Obama, 64, admitted that Michelle wants him to step back from public life so the couple can enjoy their later years together.  The problem? He keeps getting pulled back into the politics of the day. The former commander-in-chief said Trump's return to the White House is the reason he cannot simply walk away, and that his inability to do so has become a source of friction at home. 'It does create genuine tension in our household, and it frustrates her,' Obama said. 'I'm more forgiving of it, I understand why people feel that way.' He also pushed back against critics who say he isn't doing enough, arguing his continued involvement is without precedent. 'No other ex-president was the main surrogate for the Party for four election cycles after they left office,' he said.  As for the public clamor for him to do still more, Obama was philosophical: 'The fact that people want me to be doing more is a good sign.' Obama was just 47 when he entered the White House and 55 when he left - younger than most of his predecessors - and has remained one of the most active ex-presidents in modern memory. Former US President Barack Obama speaks with Donald Trump before the State Funeral Service for former US President Jimmy Carter at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, DC, on January 9, 2025 Former US President Barack Obama and his wife and former First Lady Michelle Obama stand on stage after she introduced him on the second day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, on August 20, 2024 Just last month, Obama was the top national figure supporting the Virginia amendment to gerrymander the state's congressional maps and give a number of currently GOP-controlled seats to Democrats. He also recently appeared alongside New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani during a visit to a childcare center. Former President Barack Obama left a group of children in fits of giggles as he pulled a stunt on them during a visit to a childcare center in New York in April. Obama and Mayor Mamdani read to preschoolers and led a sing-along during the visit, and did not take questions after their appearance. While at the Learning Through Play Pre-K school, Obama and Mamdani read the book 'Alone and Together' to the children and led a sing-along of 'The Wheels on the Bus.' After sitting on chairs during the reading, the two sat down on the floor to play out a key theme in the 'Alone and Together' book. 'Remember the book said, we are strong together,' Obama inquired of the children. 'So you're going to have to all help me get up,' the former president continued amid shrieks and laughter from the young attendees, before adding, 'Because I'm old.' Former US President Barack Obama pretends to struggle to stand as children lift him up during a visit to Learning Through Play Pre-K in New York, on April 18, 2026 Former US President Barack Obama and NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani sing a song during a shared reading event at Learning Through Play Pre-K in New York, on April 18, 2026 Obama served as president from 2009 to 2017, long before most of his crowd were born. The 44th president has also offered to be a sounding board for Mamdani, 34, whose star power, youth, and progressive agenda have made him stand out in Democratic politics, and even drawn similarities to Obama's own political rise. Other, more mainstream Democrats also appear to hold the former president in high regard. The Democratic Party has snubbed their most recent president, Joe Biden, in their Easter Sunday message this year. Last month, they posted a photo of the back of former President Barack Obama's head with the Easter Bunny, along with the caption 'better times at the White House.' The duo was looking at the Washington Monument, positioned between them, in the snap that was taken during Obama's presidency over a decade ago. Then-vice President Joe Biden whispers to then-President Barack Obama after introducing Obama during the health care bill ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington, March 23, 2010 Joe Biden and Barack Obama talk at the memorial service for Ethel Kennedy at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington, DC on October 16, 2024 But many were quick to realize that the Democrats seemingly forgot to praise for their most recent leader in the Oval Office - Joe Biden. Despite serving as Obama's Vice President, and then being President himself from 2021 to 2025, the Democrats' X account notably missed out mentioning Biden in their 'better times' post - with some voters saying they were 'erasing' him from history. Obama is also set to make another permanent mark on the US later this year when his presidential center and library open in Chicago in June.  No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.