Michelle Obama will not attend Donald Trump’s inauguration
Michelle Obama will not attend President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, marking the second recent event involving former US leaders that she has skipped.
unbranded – Newsworthy
The politics to podcast pipeline is alive and well.
Four years after her husband teamed up with Bruce Springsteen for “Renegades: Born in the USA,” former first lady Michelle Obama is releasing a podcast of her own.
Obama will collaborate with her older brother Craig Robinson for “IMO With Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson.” Debuting Wednesday, the series will feature candid conversations with celebrities and thought leaders.
A starting lineup of guests, shared in a release Monday, included Issa Rae, Glennon Doyle, Jay Shetty, Dwyane Wade, Seth Rogen, Tracee Ellis Ross and Keke Palmer.
“With everything going on in the world, we’re all looking for answers and people to turn to,” Obama said in the release. “My brother Craig and I launched the ‘IMO’ podcast to create a space for people to come as they are, ask honest questions, give their opinions, and have thoughtful conversations about life.”
The announcement comes as Obama has drawn away from public political functions. The former first lady was absent from both President Donald Trump’s second inauguration and Jimmy Carter’s funeral earlier this year.
“IMO” will mark a re-opening of public access to one half of the ex-first couple. A popular author and public speaker in her own right, Michelle Obama has oft been characterized as the more candid of the two. Her fiery speech at the Democratic National Convention in August was viewed as a powerful and indignant rallying cry for the party.
That no-nonsense tone is central to the newest project, she wrote on Instagram.
“I’m going to be honest. We don’t have all the answers. But there will be a lot of opinions,” Obama captioned a post announcing the project. “A lot of learning. And plenty of laughs. Because we all need some moments of light right now.”
“We grew up talking through life’s big and small questions together,” Robinson, who is president of the National Association of Basketball Coaches, said in his own statement in the release. “And now, we’re inviting listeners into that conversation, with the hope that it sparks new ideas, new perspectives, and creates the connection we could all use right now.”
The pair are the only children of Frasier and Marian Robinson, who died in May.
The project will be produced by Higher Ground, a media company founded by the Obamas.
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