--- title: Michelle Obama Uses Parenting Metaphor to Describe Trump description: Former first lady Michelle Obama compared President Donald Trump with her husband former President Barack Obama canonical: https://time.com/5232016/michelle-obama-donald-trump-parenting-metaphor/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-04-07T18:16:15.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:53:29.790Z article:section: Politics og:title: Michelle Obama Uses Parenting Metaphor to Describe Trump og:description: 'It was sort of like having the good parent at home' og:url: https://time.com/5232016/michelle-obama-donald-trump-parenting-metaphor/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltcc676885eaa2bf7c/69892d1222fb85d705e25471/michelle-obama-trump-president-parent.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4928 og:image:height: 2772 og:image:alt: MUSE New York 2018 With Featured Guest Michelle Obama og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Michelle Obama Uses Parenting Metaphor to Describe Trump twitter:description: 'It was sort of like having the good parent at home' twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltcc676885eaa2bf7c/69892d1222fb85d705e25471/michelle-obama-trump-president-parent.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Michelle Obama Uses Parenting Metaphor to Describe Donald Trump's Presidency > Sponsored content. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=ddb27bca-dba2-4317-ac01-aa4e732bafa6&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: See the Newly Unveiled Official Portraits of Barack and Michelle Obama [Watch (HLS stream): See the Newly Unveiled Official Portraits of Barack and Michelle Obama](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/kjOZ9VOE.m3u8) (2:01)  _Published 2018-02-12. The National Portrait Gallery will unveil the long-awaited portraits of former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama on Monday._ by [Lisa Marie Segarra](https://time.com/author/lisa-marie-segarra/) ## Lisa Marie Segarra Apr 7, 2018 6:16 PM UTC  Michelle Obama speaks on stage at MUSE New York 2018 at the One World Observatory on February 27, 2018 in New York City. Michelle Obama speaks on stage at MUSE New York 2018 at the One World Observatory on February 27, 2018 in New York City. Photo by Ryan Emberley—Getty Images for Klick Inc. by [Lisa Marie Segarra](https://time.com/author/lisa-marie-segarra/) ## Lisa Marie Segarra Apr 7, 2018 6:16 PM UTC Former first lady [Michelle Obama](http://time.com/5210892/barack-michelle-obama-parkland-march-lives/) compared President Donald Trump to her husband, former President Barack Obama, using a parenting metaphor. “I always sort of felt like the eight years that Barack was president, it was sort of like having the good parent at home. You know, the responsible parent, the one who told you to eat your carrots and go to bed on time,” Obama said during a discussion at the Simmons Leadership Conference in Boston, [USA _Today_ reported](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2018/04/06/michelle-obama-compares-barack-obama-and-donald-trump-presidencies/495527002/). Obama continued the metaphor by explaining what kind of parent she think [Trump](http://time.com/5231876/trump-catch-and-release-immigration/) represents. “And now perhaps we have the other parent in the house,” Obama added. “People thought it would be ‘fun’ to have Trump in charge because we can eat candy all day and stay up late and not follow the rules.” She also touched on [Hillary Clinton’s failed candidacy](http://time.com/2990265/hillary-clinton-2016-election-candidacy-daily-show-jon-stewart/), whom she helped campaign for, noting Clinton “wasn’t perfect, but she was way more perfect than many of the alternatives.” Obama also added that she was uninterested in running for office herself. ## Transcript [ INAUDIBLE ] But it's hard to obviously judge. [ LAUGH ] Something that is a portrait of you. But what I can say unequivocally, is that I am in awe of Gandhi's gifts and what he and Amy have given to this country and to the world. And we are both very grateful to have been the subject of their attention. For this great moment. I've so many thoughts and feelings rolling around inside of me now. I am humble, I am honor, I'm proud but most of all I am so incredibly grateful to all the people who came before me in this journey. The folks who built the foundation upon which I stand. As you may have guessed, I don't think there is anybody in my family who has ever had a portrait done- [ LAUGH ] Let alone a portrait that will be hanging in the National Gallery. At least as far as I know, mom. The act of Michelle Obama being her authentic self became a profound statement that engaged all of us. Because what you represent to this country is an ideal, a human being with integrity. Intellect, confidence, and compassion. This is who we as a society decide to celebrate. This is our humanity. This is our ability to say, I matter, I was here. The ability to be the first African American painter To paint the first African American president of the United States is absolutely overwhelming. 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