In 2017, former President Barack Obama delivered an emotional farewell speech as he stepped down from his eight years in the White House. During his heartfelt address, Obama took the time to thank Vice President Joe Biden, White House staff, campaign volunteers, and organizers. However, his most touching words were reserved for his family—especially his daughters, Malia and Sasha.
“Malia and Sasha, under the strangest of circumstances, you have become two amazing young women, smart and beautiful, but more importantly, kind and thoughtful and full of passion,” Barack said during his speech (via YouTube). “You wore the burden of years in the spotlight so easily. Of all that I’ve done in my life, I’m most proud to be your dad.” As the camera panned to the audience, Malia was visibly moved, wiping away tears while being comforted by her mother, Michelle Obama. Sasha, however, was notably absent, sparking online speculation.
Social media users on X (formerly Twitter) quickly began to question Sasha’s whereabouts. Some joked that she was busy preparing for her own presidential run in 2040. The reality, as a former CBS White House correspondent clarified, was that Sasha had an exam the following morning and couldn’t attend her father’s farewell speech. A photo from her school circulated online, confirming that her exam couldn’t be rescheduled.
Sasha’s absence might have seemed unusual, but it was in line with how the Obamas raised their daughters. Despite the immense spotlight, Barack and Michelle Obama strived to give Malia and Sasha as normal a childhood as possible. In a 2008 interview with People, Barack shared that his daughters had to follow the same rules as always, even after becoming the first daughters. Michelle further explained in her memoir Becoming that they didn’t bring the girls to campaign events often to prevent them from being overwhelmed by attention. “Everybody loves the kids so they get special treatment,” Michelle said, adding, “That’s nice for a day or two, but they need to go back home, just so they realize that this isn’t life.”
Even as they grew up, the Obamas maintained strict rules for their daughters, including staying off social media. In a 2013 interview with ABC News, Michelle shared that they wanted to protect Malia and Sasha from the overwhelming influence of the public eye.
Sasha’s disciplined upbringing continued into adulthood. While living in the White House, she took a summer job working at Nancy’s, a seafood restaurant in Massachusetts. Her normal trajectory persisted as she graduated from the University of Southern California with a sociology degree in 2023. Now living in Los Angeles with her sister Malia, the two have built their own lives, keeping their parents’ lessons close. Michelle, in her book The Light We Carry, recounted how they decorated their new home on a budget, carefully sourcing affordable options.
As Michelle explained in a conversation with Oprah Winfrey in 2020, she encouraged her daughters to carve out their own paths, free from external pressures. “They cannot define themselves by looking at each other or looking at me or their dad,” she said, via CNBC.