Everything Barack and Michelle Obama have said about daughters Malia and Sasha
Barack and Michelle Obama are known as the former president and first lady of the United States and for being authors, public speakers, producers and more. But to their daughters, Malia and Sasha, they are just mom and dad.
When the Obamas aren’t using their platforms to discuss political issues or post about the 44th president’s summer reading list, the couple, who have been married since 1992, share sweet family photos with their children.
In June, Barack Obama celebrated Father’s Day by uploading a group picture of the family enjoying a day in nature, surrounded by trees and a waterfall.
“Happy Father’s Day! The most fulfilling job I’ve ever had is being Sasha and Malia’s dad,” he gushed in the caption. “To all those lucky enough to take on the role of being a father, I hope you enjoy your day.”
That same day, Michelle Obama also penned a kind message for her husband beside a throwback photo of Barack Obama embracing their two daughters when they were younger.
“Barack, thank you for not only showing up for the world, but for always showing up as a husband and father for me and the girls,” she wrote in the caption, in part. “And thank you for ALWAYS making us proud. We love you!”
This summer, Malia and Sasha Obama, who were both pre-teens when their father was first elected in 2008, celebrated their 26th and 23rd birthdays, respectively.
When Sasha Obama turned 23 on June 10, Barack Obama shared an adorable childhood photo of his youngest daughter on Instagram.
“Happy birthday, Sasha!” he wrote. “It’s been such a joy to watch you make your own way in the world…and you’re just getting started!”
Michelle Obama opted for a more recent picture that showed Sasha Obama all grown up and hugging her mom. “Happy birthday, Sasha! You make me so incredibly proud. Hope this year brings you everything you want and more. Love you,” she said.
Less than a month later, older sister Malia Obama was showered with birthday celebrations when she turned 26 on July 4.
“Happy birthday, Malia,” her father captioned his post, which featured an throwback photo of the father and daughter hand-in-hand. “One of the greatest joys of my life is watching you grow into the extraordinary woman you’ve become today — and the fact that you’re still willing to hold your dad’s hand in public!”
“Happy birthday, Malia,” her father captioned his post, which featured an old photo of the father and daughter hand-in-hand. “One of the greatest joys of my life is watching you grow into the extraordinary woman you’ve become today — and the fact that you’re still willing to hold your dad’s hand in public!”
Michelle Obama shared similar sentiments on Instagram, posting a cute baby photo of her eldest child.
“Happy birthday, Malia!” Michelle Obama wrote. “No matter how old you get, you’ll always be my little pea and I’ll always be proud of you. You deserve the world and more.”
Read on to learn more about Malia and Sasha and what their parents have said about them over the years.
Malia Obama
Malia Ann Obama was born on July 4, 1998, in Chicago, Illinois.
According to NBCNews, she graduated from the prestigious Sidwell Friends school in Washington, D.C., in 2016. She then took a gap year before enrolling at Harvard University in 2017.
Speaking to InStyle in 2020, her father described her personality as “buoyant.”
“She’s somebody who enjoys people, enjoys life and enjoys conversation. She’s never bored, which is a bad— quality that can take you places,” he added.
Nowadays, she has been using her time to write and direct movies and TV shows.
In 2024, she attended the Sundance Film Festival and debuted her short film, “The Heart,” which she wrote and directed. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film is about a grieving son whose mother left him with an unusual request in her will.
“The film is about lost objects and lonely people and forgiveness and regret, but I also think it works hard to uncover where tenderness and closeness can exist in these things,” Malia Obama said in a video to promote the movie.
“We hope you enjoy the film and it makes you feel a bit less lonely, or at least reminds you not to forget about the people who are,” she added.
She is also credited with being a writer on Donald Glover’s TV series “The Swarm.”
In a 2022 interview with Vanity Fair, Glover praised her writing abilities.
“She’s just like, an amazingly talented person,” he said. “She’s really focused, and she’s working really hard.”
“I feel like she’s just somebody who’s going to have really good things coming soon,” Glover added. “Her writing style is great.”
Sasha Obama
The Obamas welcomed their second daughter, Natasha “Sasha” Obama, on June 10, 2001. Like her older sister, Sasha Obama was born in Chicago.
In his 2020 InStyle interview, Barack Obama told the outlet that he admires his youngest for her independence and commitment to her views.
“Sasha is, as Malia describes it, completely confident about her own take on the world and is not cowed or intimidated — and never has been — by anybody’s titles, anybody’s credentials. If she thinks something’s wrong or right, she will say so,” he said.
“When she was 4, 5, 6 years old, once she made a decision, she would dig in and couldn’t be steered off it. I write about it in the book, how we were trying to get her to taste caviar when we were visiting Russia,” he said, referencing his memoir, “A Promised Land.”
“She was like, ‘No. Sorry. That looks slimy. It’s nasty. I’m not going to do it — even if I’ve got to give up dessert.’ And that part of her character has always been there.”
In a 2019 interview with People, Michelle Obama recalled what it was like to see her youngest mature.
“Time just goes so fast,’’ she said. “But like so many experiences in the last 1 years, we wanted to make it feel as normal as possible, given our family’s circumstances.
“It was of course a little emotional to drop Sasha off at college,” she added. “It’s an adjustment to see each other for a weekend here, a holiday break there, but the moments we do spend together feel extra special because of it.”
According to Los Angeles Times, Sasha Obama graduated from the University of Southern California with a sociology degree in May 2023.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
