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Barack and Michelle Obama open up about their first date: 'This is a sexy environment'


Barack and Michelle are revealing the setting of their first date


Barack Obama reveals what frustrates Michelle Obama — and why Trump is at the center of it© GC Images
Maria LoretoSenior Writer
JUNE 30, 2026 11:56 AM EDT

Barack and Michelle Obama are sharing some details about their first date. The couple, who've been married for 34 years, has been busy with the opening of the Obama Presidential Center, a museum, library, and education project in Chicago that celebrates his presidency and his administration's achievements. In a clip promoting the center, Barack and Michelle playfully opened up about their first date, which shares a special link to the center they just opened. 

Fomer US president Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama arrive at the opening of the Barack Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, Illinois, on June 18, 2026.© AFP via Getty Images
Barack and Michelle Obama have been busy celebrating the opening of the Obama Presidential Center

"This would have been THE date," said Michelle when speaking about the center. "This would have been like, 'oh this dude is cool.' And then this is a sexy environment, I'm sorry," she said, prompting a shrug from Barack. 

"This is a date vibe," continued Michelle, painting a picture of what date goers can expect. "And then you put your arm around your date, and then we talk about life," she said, leaning close to Barack, who put his arm around her. 

"A tip to all young men out there!" he said.

The clip was shared by Michelle Obama, who revealed in the caption that her and Barack's first date took place in a museum. "Barack and I went to a museum on our first date. So take it from us: the Obama Presidential Center campus has just the right vibe for you and your boo," she captioned the post, adding a heart emoji. 

 You can check out the full exchange below. 

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Michelle and Barack Obama share what works about their dynamic

Michelle and Barack Obama have been married for years, building a partnership and a family that includes their two daughters, Malia and Sasha Obama

In an interview with PEOPLE, Michelle revealed some of their personality differences, saying that they "are each other's counterbalance."

Seeing the family together is always special © Getty
The family was supported by her kids, Sasha and Malia

She made it clear that Barack shaped her as a person in key ways. "The truth is, I probably would have been someone who stayed more put," Michelle said. "I think I would have had a beautiful life here, but it would have been smaller."

"But because of who my husband is, he offered all of us — our girls, my mom, my family — a broader sense of what's possible in life," she said. "He made me think more broadly about what I could do with this Harvard law degree besides be a lawyer. He gave me the courage. He was my ballast. He was like, 'I got you.' And however hard it's been, the ups and downs, he's got me."

Michelle made some time for her husband as he took a second to control his emotions© Getty Images
Michelle opened up about Barack's influence on her, and how he led them to a larger life