Barack and Michelle Obama have been married for just over 30 years now and their relationship has come with its fair share of ups and downs.
Barack touched on some of those tougher times, telling CBS Mornings co-host Nate Burleson, “It sure helps to be out of the White House, and to have a little more time with her."
The couple spent their daughters, Malia and Sasha’s formative years in the White House where the children were Michelle’s number one priority.
"And so I did not fully appreciate, I think—as engaged of a father as I was—the degree of stress and tension for her knowing that not just me and Michelle were under scrutiny and in this strange environment, but that we were raising our daughters in a kind of situation that just wasn't normal," he explained.
He added that because the girls are “doing good” now, Michelle is “a little more forgiving” of his “other foibles.” He continued, “What she’s told me is, ‘Looking back, you did okay as a dad.’”
Michelle has been honest about the hardships of marriage. Last December, she opened up during a Revolt TV panel about her relationship with her husband, saying she “couldn’t stand” him for around 10 years when their kids were younger.
She revisited that thought last month in an interview with CBS Mornings, saying that she has to be frank “because marriage is hard.”
"And a lot of young people quit on marriage over things that are just a part of the commitment," she said. "We've been married for 30 years. If I fell out with him for 10, and we had a great 20 years. I'd take those odds anytime."
