President Obama Says He Was a Crying Wreck When He Took Malia to College
“It was a little bit like open-heart surgery.”
Former first daughter Malia Obama started her freshman year at Harvard this fall. And though President Obama put up a brave face in front of her, he revealed during a speech that as the Secret Service was driving him home, he was a blubbering mess, just like any parent.
According to WDEL, Obama was in Delaware to support Vice President Joe Biden at an event for the Beau Biden Foundation for the Protection of Children, in honor of the VP’s late son. His brief remarks at the reception were mostly to honor the Biden family, but he touched upon what it’s like to see his children grow up.
“For those of us who have daughters, it just happens fast. I dropped off Malia at college and I was saying to Joe and Jill that it was a little bit like open-heart surgery,” he said. “I was proud that I did not cry in front of her, but on the way back, the Secret Service was looking straight ahead, pretending they weren’t hearing me as I sniffled and blew my nose. It was rough.”
But ultimately, Obama said, seeing your kids succeed is a way to remember what matters most in life. “It’s a reminder that at the end of our lives, whatever else we’ve accomplished, the things that we’ll remember are the joys that our children, and hopefully way later, our grandchildren, bring us,” he said. “Holding their hand, swinging on a swing, listening to them talk about what happened at school.”
Watch him talk about dropping Malia off at college below. And then call your dad.
Stay In The Know
Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.
Megan Friedman is the former managing editor of the Newsroom at Hearst. She's worked at NBC and Time, and is a graduate of Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism.
-
Blue Ivy Carter’s ‘Mufasa’ Makeup Is Causing Controversy
Allow Black girls to experiment with beauty in peace.
By Ariel Baker Published
-
Jennifer Lopez and Her Floor-Length Sleeves Single-Handedly Revive the Boho Trend
The star looked like a child of the '70s in a Chloé onesie.
By Hanna Lustig Published
-
Sabrina Carpenter's Micro Shorts Are a Slice of Fashion History
She was brave to trot it out at the height of winter.
By Kelsey Stiegman Published
-
36 Ways Women Still Aren't Equal to Men
It's just one of the many ways women still aren't equal to men.
By Brooke Knappenberger Last updated
-
How New York's First Female Governor Plans to Fight for Women If Reelected
Kathy Hochul twice came to power because men resigned amid sexual harassment scandals. Here, how she's leading differently.
By Emily Tisch Sussman Last updated
-
Why the 2022 Midterm Elections Are So Critical
As we blaze through a highly charged midterm election season, Swing Left Executive Director Yasmin Radjy highlights rising stars who are fighting for women’s rights.
By Tanya Benedicto Klich Published
-
Tammy Duckworth: 'I’m Mad as Hell' About the Lack of Federal Action on Gun Safety
The Illinois Senator won't let the memory of the Highland Park shooting just fade away.
By Sen. Tammy Duckworth Published
-
Roe Is Gone. We Have to Keep Fighting.
Democracy always offers a path forward even when we feel thrust into the past.
By Beth Silvers and Sarah Stewart Holland, hosts of Pantsuit Politics Podcast Published
-
The Supreme Court's Mississippi Abortion Rights Case: What to Know
The case could threaten Roe v. Wade.
By Megan DiTrolio Published
-
Sex Trafficking Victims Are Being Punished. A New Law Could Change That.
Victims of sexual abuse are quietly criminalized. Sara's Law protects kids that fight back.
By Dr. Devin J. Buckley and Erin Regan Published
-
My Family and I Live in Navajo Nation. We Don't Have Access to Clean Running Water
"They say that the United States is one of the wealthiest countries in the world. Why are citizens still living with no access to clean water?"
By Amanda L. As Told To Rachel Epstein Published