Michelle Obama may have supported Democratic Nominee Hillary Clinton, but she says it’s essential that Americans have hope as President-Elect Donald Trump prepares to take office.
“Now, we are feeling what not having hope feels like. Hope is necessary,” Obama told Oprah Winfrey in an interview that will air on CBS Monday next week. “Barack didn’t just talk about hope because he thought it was just a nice slogan to get votes… What else do you have if you don’t have hope? What do you give your kids if you can’t give them hope?”
Obama sat down with Winfrey for her final interview at the White House. The topics discussed included Barack Obama’s legacy, race and wealth, according to excerpts that aired on Friday on CBS This Morning. Obama said that she believes her husband, who has had mixed approval ratings and an eight-year tenure often defined by partisan differences, has been a guiding force for Americans.
Read More: Images of the Obama Family Over the Years
“Our children respond to crises the way they see us respond. It’s like the toddler who bumps his head on the table and looks up at you to see if it hurts,” she said. “I feel Barack has been that for the nation in ways that people will come to appreciate. Having a grown-up in the White House who can say to you in times of crisis and turmoil, ‘Hey, it’s going to be okay. Let’s remember the good things that we have.’”
Watch clips from the interview here, and watch the full interview on Monday at 8 p.m. on CBS.
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Write to Samantha Cooney at samantha.cooney@time.com