Serving as president is widely seen as one of the most demanding roles in the world.
Every decision can carry huge consequences, and the weight of an entire nation’s expectations can make even small missteps feel enormous.
That kind of pressure doesn’t necessarily disappear once a president leaves office, either.
Barack Obama remains a prominent presence in American political life, even though he left the White House more than a decade ago.
A major reason he continues to draw attention is because he’s frequently targeted by his successor, Donald Trump, including through pointed remarks and late-night posts on Truth Social.
Trump has repeatedly taken public shots at Obama, and the exchanges haven’t been one-sided.
In an interview with The New Yorker, Obama said the ongoing back-and-forth has had an impact at home—particularly on his relationship with Michelle Obama.
He said: “It does create a genuine tension in our household, and it frustrates her. I’m more forgiving of it, in the sense that I understand why people feel that way, because people aren’t looking at me in historical comparison to other presidents.
“They don’t care about the fact that no other ex-president was the main surrogate for the party for four election cycles after they left office.”
Obama suggested Michelle has become increasingly tired of how much politics continues to shape their lives, and that she’d prefer they had more time together away from the public arena.
Even so, he has stayed outspoken about Trump, and he has continued to involve himself in political causes—recently backing Democratic efforts tied to redrawing boundaries in Virginia that could improve their prospects in the US House of Representatives.
Obama has also long been willing to discuss how intense the scrutiny was on their family during his presidency, especially for Michelle and their daughters, Sasha and Malia, as the first Black family to live in the White House.
Still, he indicated he’s been trying to pull back somewhat, saying he doesn’t want to be seen as turning into a constant “political commentator.”
He said: “The media environment is so difficult that people don’t even know all the stuff I am doing, right?
“And, I think, when they do see me, then the sense is, well, why isn’t he doing that every day instead of just during a midterm election, or during a referendum campaign around gerrymandering, or what have you?”
As he put it, satisfying everyone’s expectations is nearly impossible.
For now, the public sparring between Trump and Obama appears set to continue as long as Obama remains engaged in political issues.
Trump has often used Obama’s full name in remarks, referring to him as “Barack Hussein Obama,” and earlier this year he posted a racist video on Truth Social that portrayed the Obamas as apes.
He also shared a separate video depicting Obama being arrested.