Michelle Obama was heavily criticized for a New Year’s message shared with her followers just weeks ahead of Donald Trump’s return to the Oval Office.
The former first lady took to Instagram on Friday afternoon with a minute-and-a-half-long video message wishing her followers a happy holiday season as 2024 officially comes to a close.
But the internet wasn’t so keen about her words of encouragement for the American people.
The video, which has amassed hundreds of comments within just the first three hours of being posted, showed the former first lady against a white background as she began to address the lens.
‘Happy holidays!’ she gleefully began.
She then took a few moments to speak of the year just ahead – and how the nation may be feeling about the near future.
‘I know it’s been a difficult few months for so many of us – and folks are feeling a little bit anxious and uncertain,’ she said.
‘But even during these tough times, there are plenty of reasons to stay hopeful.’
Former First Lady Michelle Obama was heavily criticized for a New Year’s message she shared to Instagram early Friday afternoon after she wished her followers a happy holiday season and spoke of the uncertain year ahead of the country
The video message, which has amassed hundreds of comments within the first three hours of being posted, was filled with comments of people who believe it was a dig at Trump’s landslide presidential victory and official return to the Oval Office in just a few weeks
The former first lady then spoke of the hope she personally sees through the people she works with through the Obama Foundation.
‘I wanted to share some reflections on the work the Obama Foundation is doing to lift up the young change-makers around the world,’ she captioned the video. ‘Take a look.’
The rest of the clips showcased all different kinds of people – including her husband, Former President Barack Obama – and some of the work they have done throughout the last 12 months.
This included the construction of the Obama Presidential Center being built in the south side of Chicago.
But many thought her ‘gloomy’ message to the internet was taking aim at Trump’s landslide victory over Kamala Harris in the presidential election just last month.
And hundreds of viewers flooded the comments with their own opinions on what’s in store for 2025.
‘Twenty-four more days and we are out of this nightmare you and your husband created for the American people!’ one commenter wrote.
Another agreed, adding: ‘What a joke. Trump can hopefully fix the mess your husband has gotten this country into. The subway in your video, how ironic.’
‘It has not been difficult for most of us! Most of us voted for Trump!’ wrote another. ‘We are good!’
Another comment read: ‘The only sad person is you and your butt buddy Obama.’
‘I am so happy Donald Trump won and life will go back to normal,’ one person wrote. ‘The homeless needed and New York City people are on the street and all you did was put the money in your pockets.’
‘Thank God that Donald Trump won, they’ll be no kids unfed fed,’ the same person added. ‘Boys will be boys girls would be girls.’
‘You’re showing a building that you put up but what about the people that are starving and their dying on the street what about our safety? What about our lives? What about everything? Why don’t you worry about that for a change?’ they continued.
‘We are so happy that Donald Trump is in the office because we’ll all be equal.’
Others were quick to agree with the long-written statement – noting how she should be happy Trump will be returning to the White House in January.
Some comments also questioned how she could be nervous about the next four years without taking a step back to look at how the last four played out.
The Obama couple got increasingly involved in the 2024 race and hit the campaign trail for Kamala Harris in the final weeks leading up to November 5.
At a Harris campaign three days before the election, the former first lady gave a speech in Pennsylvania where she hyped the vice president and urged people to get out and vote while slamming Donald Trump – all without once uttering his name.
She argued that in America ‘we rise more than we fall’ but warned of those who are trying to tell another story about the country.
She noted how during dark and difficult times, the country needs someone who will ‘connect with people’s pain and address the systemic issues at their root, not leaders who stoke our fears and focus our fury on one another.’
‘Once you open up that gasoline can, once you wink at hate and make it normal to call somebody a bimbo, or low IQ or human scum, look, you cannot control how fast or far that fire of hate will spread,’ she warned, referring to some of the names Trump and allies have called Harris.
The former first lady got increasingly involved in the 2024 race and hit the campaign trail for Harris in the final weeks leading up to November 5
A few days after the election last month, the Obama’s put out a joint statement on X following Trump’s presidential victory – congratulating him while also acknowledging that ‘this is obviously not the outcome we hoped for’
‘All of a sudden someone feels emboldened to say that our fellow citizens in Puerto Rico come from an “island of garbage,”‘ she continued, noting the ex-president’s rally in New York City where a comedian made a racist joke about the territory.
She also referred to Trump as a conman, a small man trying to make himself feel big, and Kamala’s opponent, but she did not mention him by name.
But just days after the election, the Obamas finally broke their silence on Trump’s victory, congratulating the president-elect while also acknowledging that ‘this is obviously not the outcome we hoped for.’
The joint statement from Barack and Michelle Obama noted that ‘America is not immune’ to having an electorate that reacts accordingly to the conditions of the country, which ultimately led to sweeping victories for Republicans across the country and in national and state-wide races.
‘America has been through a lot over the last few years,’ the former first couple wrote.
‘In a country as big and diverse as ours, we won’t always see eye-to-eye on everything,’ the statement admits. ‘But progress requires us to extend good faith and grace – even to people with whom we deeply disagree.’
The statement was shared to X shortly after Harris told her tearful fans in D.C. to keep fighting as she conceded.
