Former President Barack Obama has revealed how women made sexual advances on him during his term in the White House.
In an interview on The Pivot PodcastObama, 63, spoke with former NFL players Channing Crowder, Ryan Clark and Fred Taylor about some of the “somewhat inappropriate” attention he received from women and what kept him on a “straight and narrow path” in the process.
“When I got drafted into the NFL, I became a little nicer,” said Crowder, a former Miami Dolphins linebacker, who then asked whether the former president also experienced more female attention after being sworn into the Oval Office.
Obama was 47 when he became president in 2008, making him one of the youngest presidents in American history. He married former first lady Michelle Obama in 1992 and with whom he shares two daughters, Malia and Sasha.
“The truth is, as NFL players and athletes in general … you’re all becoming famous young, at a time when the attention you’re talking about might be flattering, fun, what have you,” he said. ‘By the time people really knew who I was, I was 43 years old. I was married, had two children, went grocery shopping, washed my car. In that sense I was an ordinary boy.’
Former President Barack Obama reveals how women made sexual advances toward him during his term in the White House
‘By the time people really knew who I was, I was 43 years old. I was married, had two children, went grocery shopping, washed my car. In that sense, I was an ordinary man,” Obama said (photo: Obama and First Lady Michelle walk the Inaugural Parade route after Obama was sworn in as the 44th US president on January 20, 2009)
“That kind of attention, by the time I got it, I wasn’t tripping over it. There are times when women have acted somewhat inappropriately. There are pictures on the internet of women grabbing my ass, and I was president at the time,” he said.
The former president added that the women who did make advances were “old ladies,” so the Secret Service did not “raze them to the ground.”
As he grew in popularity, Obama said his devotion to his family kept him going.
“My wife is such a special woman, such a great partner, that you just try to stay focused, stay on track. And also look: children change your life. The idea of disappointing your children is something I’m not into.”
In recent weeks, Obama has been active on the campaign trail ahead of next week’s presidential election, rallying support for Vice President Kamala Harris against Donald Trump.
Obama was a fierce critic of Trump when he campaigned for Harris, criticizing the former president for trying to kill Obamacare, for failing to properly handle the COVID pandemic and for taking credit for his economy.
Speaking before Kamala Harris in Philadelphia on Monday night as he went after Trump, Obama criticized Trump for the “racist, sexist, bigoted” speakers at his Sunday night event at Madison Square Garden.
“There are times when women have acted somewhat inappropriately. There are pictures on the internet of women grabbing my ass, and I was president at the time,” he said.
As he grew in popularity, Obama said his commitment to his family kept him grounded (Photo: The Obamas on Easter Sunday in April 2015, his final year in office)
The former president specifically referenced comments from comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who called Puerto Rico an “island of trash.”
‘These are Americans. They’re people. And that is why this election should not be close,” he continued.
‘It must be clear. Here’s a good rule: if someone doesn’t respect you, if someone doesn’t see you as fellow citizens with equal rights to opportunities. To pursue the American dream, don’t vote for them. You shouldn’t expect them to make your life better.’