Overview

• On May 27 the Obamas were photographed leaving The Lowell Hotels restaurant on Manhattan’s Upper East Side in their first public appearance as a couple in six months.
• Michelle Obama led the way to a waiting SUV with a bright smile as Barack Obama followed closely, projecting a relaxed and united image.
• Her absence from Jimmy Carter’s January 9 funeral and Donald Trump’s January 20 inauguration had fueled separation rumors that the May 27 appearance now quashes.
• In April Michelle Obama used her “The Diary of a CEO” and “Work in Progress” podcasts to stress that her independent engagements reflected personal freedom, not relationship trouble.
• Married for 32 years, the former first couple have endured close public scrutiny over separate events but remain visibly united in their ongoing public life.