Overview

• On July 9’s IMO podcast, Michelle Obama declared this phase of her life the first time she has been “completely free.”
• She argued that each decision she makes now is about fulfilling her own ambitions rather than advancing her husband’s career or her daughters’ paths.
• Her latest statements have rekindled headlines speculating about a divorce from Barack Obama, even as they remain married since 1992.
• Obama recalled that her decision to skip President Trump’s second inauguration and Jimmy Carter’s funeral earlier this year was driven by personal agency, not marital strain.
• As her daughters pursue independent careers, she is framing her post-White House journey as part of a larger conversation about women’s self-directed lives.