Why Michelle Obama's Brother Didn't Think Barack Romance Would Last
In Craig Robinson's opinion, Barack Obama was just another one of his sister Michelle Obama's boyfriends.
The 62-year-old revealed that when he first learned that Michelle was dating his future brother-in-law, he suspected the relationship would only "last a month."
"So Mich starts to date Barack, and we don't know who this guy is, we're just like, 'Barack? Who's got a name like Barack?' he joked on the April 16 episode of their IMO podcast. "And I'm thinking it's gonna last a month."
However, a game of basketball helped Barack get his stamp of approval.
"After we met him and she had been dating him for a little while she said, 'Would you mind, Craig, taking him to play?'" Craig recalled of his sister, who was 25 when she met the former president. "And at first I said, 'No way, I'm not going to do your dirty work for you. If he turns out to be a bad dude, I'm not going to be the one to say."
In the end, Craig, 62, did take to the court with his now brother-in-law, who was 28 at the time. And the podcast host shared that they "had a great time playing."
"This is what I learned," Craig continued. "Aside from the fact that he is tremendously left-handed so he couldn't go right at all, most importantly, he was a team player, right? He fit in with the people."
He added, "So I was able to report back to you that everything was fine and the rest was history."
All these years later, the couple is still going strong—even in the midst of divorce rumors that have circulated due to Michelle missing a string of high-profile events.
"They couldn't even fathom that I was making a choice for myself that they had to assume that my husband and I are divorcing," Michelle said of the rumors during after she didn't attend Jimmy Carter's funeral alongside her husband on the April 9 episode of the Work in Progress with Sophia Bush podcast. "This couldn't be a grown woman just making a set of decisions for herself, right?"
For Barack and Michelle's sweetest moments, read on.
In July 2020, Michelle opens up about her marriage on her podcast. "One of the reasons I fell in love with you is because you are guided by the principle that we are each other's brothers' and sisters' keepers...," she shares. "I can say that my family, my neighborhood, my notions of community growing up shaped that view, and shaped the choices that I made in life as I felt your experiences shape yours."
The couple uplifts graduates during the Dear Class of 2020 event.
The couple exchanges smiles as they wait to greet South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and his wife Kim Yoon-ok.
Picture-perfect! President Obama shares a tender moment with Michelle during their Mother's Day gathering at the White House.
All smiles! The two unveil their official portraits during a ceremony at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery in 2018.
The duo hands out candy to trick-or-treaters on the south lawn of the White House.
The president places a gentle kiss on his wife's cheek.
Michelle ensures the president is handshake-ready before their meeting with Singapore's prime minister.
The President gives the First Lady a thumbs up before meeting with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his wife Ho Ching.
Before their meeting with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his wife Gursharan Kaur, the couple sneaks in glances at each other.
President Fonz gives the camera a thumbs-up while Michelle looks equally bemused.
The adorable couple makes each other giggle before meeting with Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and Agnese Landini.
The duo is captured sharing a long embrace after learning that they will be POTUS and FLOTUS for four more years in 2012.
The president and his leading lady celebrate his re-election by enjoying a slow dance at the Commander-In-Chief's Ball in January 2013.
The two share a slow dance at the Neighborhood Inaugural Ball in 2009.
The duo flashes their gorgeous smiles as they dance at the Obama Home States Inaugural Ball in 2009.
The pair soaks up the moment at the DNC in 2008, after then-Sen. Obama officially accepted the nomination as the first Black man to be the lead candidate of a major political party.
The couple shares their excitement at a Minnesota rally after Sen. Obama learned he had clinched the Democratic nomination for president in June 2008.
eonline
