Former President Barack Obama reportedly once referred to President Joe Biden’s family dynamics as “weird shit,” a person familiar with the remarks told Axios.
Former First Lady Michelle Obama is reportedly frustrated with how her close friend Kathleen Buhle, Hunter Biden’s ex-wife, was “exiled” and “wronged” by the Biden family following the divorce, two people familiar with the relationship told Axios. The former first lady’s feelings towards the situation coupled with her emotions towards politics, have kept Obama off the campaign trail despite President Barack Obama’s participation, the sources told Axios. (RELATED: Obama Reportedly Has ‘Grave Concern’ Biden Will Lose To Trump, Feels Need To Intervene)
President Obama has frequently appeared on the campaign trail with Biden and has appeared in several social media videos with the president, Axios reported, making note that Michelle has often not appeared in these settings. After attending one event with Biden in 2017, Obama called the Biden family dynamics “weird shit,” a source told Axios. The event was for the Beau Biden Foundation and circulated around the Biden family, coming shortly after Hunter Biden had divorced Buhle and was in a relationship with his late brother’s widow, Hallie Biden, Axios reported.
US President Joe Biden speaks with former fist lady Michelle Obama before boarding Air Force One at Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta, Georgia, on November 28, 2023. Biden is traveling to Denver, Colorado, for a campaign reception. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)
“The Biden and Obama families are like family to one other, and whoever made these claims about that relationship isn’t familiar with it,” White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates told Axios.
There are conversations to still have Michelle Obama join the campaign trail despite the reported tension, Axios reported. Senior White House aide Anita Dunn and top Michelle Obama aide Melissa Winter met to discuss how the Biden campaign could use the former first lady to help the president in his bid for reelection, the outlet reported. Though the former first lady has a general distaste towards partisan politics, she spoke at the 2020 Democratic National Convention following begs from the Biden campaign and other Democrats, according to Axios.
“She is friends with Kathleen and with the Bidens. Two things can be true,” Crystal Carson, a spokesperson for Michelle Obama, told Axios.
