Michelle Obama's podcast puts her in limelight in new Trump era, but she's not coming to Democrats' rescue
But she's not a political savior, a new report reminds readers. She's not running for office, let alone president, and her show is likely at best a blueprint for Democrats desperate to engage voters in the sort of fashion that right-leaning shows and hosts did to President Donald Trump's benefit in 2024.
"As Democrats search for a liberal counter to the right-wing media ecosystem that helped Trump win back the White House by reaching millions who don't pay attention to mainstream media, the online show of a relatable and popular Democrat could be what they are looking for," a new USA Today report states.
Obama and her brother Craig Robinson launched "IMO" in March, which Obama teased as addressing people feeling more alone than ever in "really complicated and confusing times." Left unsaid was that Trump had taken office less than two months earlier, with the political party her husband Barack Obama led and the broader progressive movement in shambles after Republicans swept to power in November.
Yet Michelle Obama has remained deliberately apolitical for the most part in the show. Her most recent guest was social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, where they discussed his work to discourage parents from letting kids and teenagers spend too much of their formative years on smartphones and screens. On Father's Day, she spoke to rock star Bruce Springsteen and Trump wasn't mentioned by name.
She's said repeatedly she's not running for office. One supporter quoted by USA Today noted the former first lady "hates politics," and Obama has spoken about feeling a sense of "freedom" with her two daughters now in young adulthood.
But she's not staying out of the limelight. She has also appeared on numerous other podcasts for interviews this year, doing far more media appearances than her husband, including on podcasts hosted by NPR, Amy Poehler, and Sophia Bush. She's largely eschewing political topics and direct criticism of the Trump administration, while not completely avoiding hot topics either. One Democratic strategist said this was a better use of her talents than sounding off directly on politics.
"So this is the best way that she can create space and show the multi-dimensional nature of Black women: our thinking; how we engage friends; how we engage with people across racial lines; how we engage with our siblings; and the fullness of us, while also allowing her to speak to the issues of the moment," Democratic strategist Nina Smith told USA Today.
In the backdrop of Obama's ascension as a more public media figure in 2025, Democrats are reportedly casting about for an army of online influencers to counter the hugely followed voices like Joe Rogan that helped push young men into Trump's corner in 2024.
Liberal strategists are pushing the party's megadonors to spend tens of millions of dollars to develop "an army of left-leaning online influencers" to help the party "compete culturally" with President Donald Trump, according to The New York Times.
"The quiet effort amounts to an audacious — skeptics might say desperate — bet that Democrats can buy more cultural relevance online, despite the fact that casually right-leaning touchstones like Mr. Rogan's podcast were not built by political donors and did not rise overnight," the Times reported.
Michelle Obama has built credibility with Democratic Party supporters since she and her husband burst onto the national political scene in the late 2000s. Yet since neither she nor her husband are running for office again, she can't be relied upon too much beyond being a voice in the political wilderness.
"It's important for her to stay within the public space, so it's good that she wants to be active. She endorses candidates and stuff of that nature. I have no problem with that," Maryland native Steven Uzoukwu told USA Today. "I just think we shouldn't rely on the Obamas to save America."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Hailey & Justin Bieber Dance It Out At Concert Amid Divorce Rumors
Justin and recently attended the Martin Garrix concert in Los Angeles, once again dismissing speculations of a divorce and marriage crisis. The couple was spotted at the concert on Sunday, looking happier than ever. While rumors have been swirling about their potential divorce for some time, the Biebers looked unfazed and happy together. The Martin Garrix concert at LA State Historic Park saw Justin and Hailey Bieber squashing divorce rumors while dancing and grooving together. They proved that actions speak louder than rumors, exchanging glances and laughter with each other. Hence, the parents of one chose to have fun over entertaining any gossip about trouble in their marriage. Eyewitnesses and fan clips claimed the Biebers were inseparable throughout the evening. While jamming to Garrix's electrifying music, the couple exuded perfect chemistry, and they seemed unbothered by the cameras on them. A clip featured Justin taking his jersey off and wrapping his arm around his wife as she beamed at him. Another clip showed Hailey turning back toward Justin while the pop singer was recording a video. The star couple locked eyes and broke into wide smiles while having the best time. The concert was thus proof that their bond was still going strong despite all the rumors. TMZ reported that the couple's outing came after the divorce rumors intensified, with the singer hinting that Hailey was avoiding him. Justin's ambiguous posts on Instagram further fueled the rumors. After his comment on Hailey's Vogue cover, his Mother's Day posts also led to speculations about the couple's relationship. Moreover, Us Weekly recently reported how 'things aren't great right now' between the couple. The tabloid's source stated that Justin was 'going through a difficult time,' which impacted their marriage. However, Justin and Hailey Bieber's recent EDM concert date not only dismissed their divorce rumors but also suggested that the couple was happy together. They gave the crowd a reason to believe that no rumor can outweigh their mutual love. Originally reported by Ishika Mishra on Reality Tea. The post Hailey & Justin Bieber Dance It Out At Concert Amid Divorce Rumors appeared first on Mandatory.
Yahoo
30 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Justin Bieber Has Reportedly Been Absent From His Church For 3 Months As Pastor Hints At 'Drama' In Sermon
Justin Bieber has not attended Churchome services in three months amid accusations that the church is a "cult-like" organization. Bieber's pastor, Judah Smith, narrated a recent experience where several people reached out to him to ask if he was "okay," following the recent press he got about an alleged misunderstanding with the singer's former pal, Ryan Good. Meanwhile, Justin Bieber continues to fuel fan concerns about his well-being with his cryptic posts amid rumors that his marriage to Hailey Bieber is in trouble. According to The U.S. Sun, Bieber has not attended church for the past three months amid drama with his long-time pastor. The "Sorry" singer has been going to Churchome since at least 2010, when he was 16 years old, and has grown close to his pastor Judah Smith over the years. Bieber and Smith came under intense scrutiny after the singer's former best friend, Ryan Good, stopped going to the church due to its supposed "cult-like culture." Since then, Bieber has not spoken to Good, who served as his best man during his wedding to Hailey and helped co-found his former streetwear brand Drew House. On Wednesday evening, Smith, who officiated Bieber's wedding to Hailey in 2018, delivered an emotional sermon in which he narrated how the headlines have seemingly heightened interest in his welfare from friends. "Recently, I've had a lot of people ask me if I'm okay," Smith said. "Which, [at] face value, that is a wonderful thing to do, right? A text, 'Hey, you good?' 'Hey, you okay?'" However, he stated that "the problem is when they add up," he's then forced to admit "maybe this has happened to you," and really check if everything is okay with him. "So Jason and I went to Miami this past weekend. It was a great time. And I ran into so many old friends I hadn't seen in a while," he continued, name-dropping former E! News host Jason Kennedy, who was sitting in the audience. "And I was kind of taken aback because one person said, 'Hey, are you good? You okay?' And I was like, 'Yeah, yeah, no, I'm good.' I'm kind of like, what have you heard?" he said. The 46-year-old clergy rambled on in his sermon, asking his audience if they'd ever been "asked so many times if you're okay, that you started to wonder if you're okay?" "And I'll admit in Miami recently seeing old friends, I started to say, 'no, I'm great'. And then I could hear through my own tone that my response was me also telling them, but also telling me that I'm great," he continued. However, after about an hour, Smith's speech took an emotional turn as he started tearing up and said, "It's [life] always been about people, but we made it about popularity and we made it about appearances." It comes after Bieber sparked concerns after he seemingly cut ties with many of his inner circle members amid accusations his church had a "cult-like culture." However, Smith denied the claims in a recent sermon, saying if they were one, they "are the worst cult in the history of all cults." "We meet once a month, guys. I stopped doing this every Wednesday. We've got to get better at this," he continued, per The U.S. Sun. According to the news outlet, one churchgoer admitted after service on Wednesday that the church has its issues, but isn't a cult. "I've been coming to this church for five years. I've grown so much lot spiritually," the source said. "Things aren't always perfect, but I know pastor Judah comes from a good place. He has a good heart, he's the real deal." Speaking more about Churchome, the insider, who also claims to be a member of the church, admitted that the organization has its issues, but that its leader, Judah, has good intentions. "Haters are gonna hate, but I think he has the right intentions," the insider said. "At the end of the day, pastors are also human; they do make mistakes, but it's up to us to help pray for them and uplift them." They also mentioned that they'd not "had negative experiences with Judah," but had fallen out with the prayer group in the church; however, that didn't "discourage" them from coming. "Every church has its issues, there's mental illness with the people that go there. No church is perfect," the source added. Bieber's spiritual life isn't the only area that seems to be encountering troubles, but also his marital life. The "Peaches" singer's marriage to Hailey has allegedly hit a rocky patch following a series of bizarre social media posts. He has tried to dispel the rumors and recently shared a slew of photos of them and their son, Jack Blues, to his Instagram account, which he just changed from @justinbieber to @lilbieber. "Justin's been a hard person to deal with recently because of what he's going through," a source told Us Weekly earlier this week. "It's been really hard on her." The insider added, "Family issues have clouded her success."
Yahoo
33 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Thune says Senate Republicans have a deal to pass Trump megabill
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) told reporters Tuesday morning that he thinks he has a deal with Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) to pass President Trump's tax and spending megabill — but also cautioned he's a 'realist,' indicating he's not counting anything as finished until the final vote is cast. Asked if he had a deal as he walked from the Senate floor to his office, Thune replied, 'I believe we do.' 'But, like I said, I'm of Scandinavian heritage, so I'm always a bit of a realist. We'll see what happens,' he said. Live updates: After 24-hour debate, Thune ready for megabill vote; Trump heads to 'Alligator Alcatraz' Thune's body language appeared significantly more relaxed after he and Murkowski reviewed a sheet of legislative text on the Senate floor while Senate Finance Committee Chair Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Budget Committee Chair Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) hovered nearby. Thune was spotted alongside Murkowski poring over the document at a desk near the back wall of the Senate chamber shortly after 8 a.m. EDT Tuesday. A person familiar with the floor conversations said the Senate parliamentarian had approved revised language to soften the impact of Medicaid cuts and food assistance cuts on Alaska. Robert Duncan, the secretary of the Republican majority, and Gary Myrick, the secretary of the Democratic conference, were spotted in a discussion with the parliamentarian at the Senate dais a short time later. The deal with Murkowski breaks a deadlock that lasted throughout Monday night and into Tuesday morning. Thune, Crapo and Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee Chair John Boozman (R-Ark.) thought they had secured Murkowski's vote by crafting language to provide an enhanced federal Medicaid match for Alaska and a waiver to shield the state from Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) cuts. But Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough threw a wrench into those plans by ruling the initial Medicaid and SNAP provisions designed to help Alaska didn't comply with the Byrd Rule and therefore weren't eligible to pass the Senate with a simple-majority vote. Republican leadership and committee staff then spent hours Monday and early Tuesday morning to craft language that could secure the approval of both Murkowski and the parliamentarian. The situation looked dire for Thune and other Republicans only a few hours earlier. Murkowski appeared to resist the entreaties of Crapo and Senate Republican Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) on the floor around 3:30 a.m. before she walked into Thune's office for a meeting. When Thune and Murkowski emerged from the majority leader's office to walk back to the floor, a reporter asked Thune if he would have to pull the bill. 'Those are options I don't want to have to worry about,' Thune told reporters. Even shortly before 8 a.m. Tuesday, Thune wasn't completely sure he had Murkowski's support. A person familiar with the leadership's deliberations said Thune was planning to move forward with a vote to see for sure where Murkowski stood on the legislation after hours of haggling over Alaska-related provisions. The Senate started its marathon series of procedural and amendment votes related to the bill shortly after 9:30 a.m. Monday. Thune put the Senate chamber into an extended quorum call around 7:30 a.m. Tuesday to give senators a rest and GOP leadership staff and Finance Committee's staff more time to put the finishing touches on the deal with Murkowski and the final legislative text of the Senate bill. Thune can afford to lose three Republican votes and still pass the bill, with Vice President Vance casting a tiebreaking vote. Vance arrived at the Capitol as the sun rose. Updated at 11:29 a.m. EDT Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
