Barack Obama predicts America will elect its first female president ‘sometime soon’ | Today’s news

Nearly a decade after leaving the White House, former US President Barack Obama says he is confident the United States will eventually elect its first female president, describing it as a natural step in the country’s continued progress toward greater representation.

In a wide-ranging interview with PEOPLE magazine alongside former first lady Michelle Obama ahead of the opening of the Obama Presidential Center, Obama reflected on race, leadership, marriage and the legacy he hopes to leave behind.

Obama on America’s first female president

Reflecting on the importance of becoming America’s first black president, Obama said one of his goals is to broaden young people’s sense of what is possible.

“I was hoping that all of a sudden the girls started to feel like, ‘OK, whatever limits people have set, whatever precedents there are, I think I can do something,'” he said.

Obama argued that his election helped normalize the idea that people from different backgrounds could aspire to the highest office in the land.

“There are kids who, growing up under my presidency, said, ‘Yeah, of course you can have a black president. Why not?’

He then expressed his belief that a woman would soon be elected president.

“I’m sure when we get a female president, which we will have sometime in my lifetime, it will be normalized, and that’s what we want.”

Michelle Obama said her husband’s influence transcended race and politics.

“The symbolism of his presidency wasn’t just about race, it was about how you perform as a leader, a man, a father and a husband,” she said.

Michelle Obama: ‘I’m so proud of the way my husband turned out’

The interview comes as the Obamas prepare to open the Obama Presidential Center on Chicago’s South Side, a project they describe as deeply personal and rooted in the community where their relationship began.

Michelle Obama paid a heartfelt tribute to her husband, bucking his tendency to downplay his achievements.

“My husband is always thinking about how to shine a light on other people,” she said.

“I’m so proud of how my husband has shown himself in this role, as he shows himself every day.”

Meanwhile, Barack Obama described his presidency and the new center as collective successes.

“I’m very proud of what we’ve accomplished, what our administration has accomplished,” he said. “But I want to make sure people see all the people on whose shoulders we stand. This is a group project.”

A deeply personal homecoming in Chicago

The new presidential center is located in the Chicago neighborhood where the couple met, married and started their family.

Obama recalled arriving in Chicago as a young community organizer with little more than a car full of belongings.

“So much of what is dear to me is because of this community,” he said. “People who hugged some funny kid from Hawaii. They gave me a home.”

Michelle Obama said the project has special significance because of her own roots in the area.

“Every piece of mine was built in this area,” she said. “I get emotional when I realize what it’s going to mean for the kids. So it’s incredibly personal for me.”

The first kiss that became part of the Obama tradition

The conversation also returned to the beginnings of their relationship.

Michelle Obama recalled Barack Obama’s modest apartment on Chicago’s South Side and their simple dates together.

“When we started dating, he was renting a crappy little apartment on 53rd Street from a friend. No air conditioning. The windows were open,” she recalled.

One of those dates included a stop at Baskin-Robbins, where the couple shared their first kiss.

“Sitting on the curb,” Obama said. “There’s a plaque now. I don’t know who put it.”

“We are each other’s counterbalance”

When asked about the secret of their almost 34-year marriage, both emphasized mutual support and balance.

Obama described Michelle as someone whose character and values ​​made him a better person.

“Just being with her made me better, and she still does,” he said.

Michelle Obama said her husband’s ambitions broadened her view of what was possible.

“He gave me courage. He was my ballast. He said, ‘I got you,'” she said.

“And as hard as it was, the ups and downs, he got me.

Obama replied with a smile, “And she grounds me and anchors me.”

Memories of the White House and life after politics

The former president described life in the White House as rewarding but limiting.

“I think it was Bill Clinton who called it the crown jewel of the federal prison system,” he said.

While he misses the people and camaraderie of public service, Obama said he doesn’t miss many aspects of presidential life.

“I don’t miss a lot of pomp and circumstance. I don’t miss having to wear a tie every day.”

Michelle Obama remembered the White House as the family home where daughters Malia and Sasha grew up.

“We enjoyed the White House. And it was our home,” she said.

Building a legacy for future generations

Today, both Obamas say their focus is less on politics and more on creating opportunities for future leaders.

Obama highlighted the work of the Obama Foundation and its efforts to support young people around the world.

“Over the past 10 years, we have worked with young leaders through the foundation’s programs around the world,” he said. “That gave me the greatest satisfaction.

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