You would think ABC was getting royalties off of Michelle Obama’s new book for all the time they’ve spent promoting it. Good Morning America anchor Robin Roberts spent Tuesday morning in Chicago with Obama and her brother before a live audience where she gave a friendly interview to the former first lady about her new memoir, after devoting an entire 20/20 special to the book on Sunday.
Leading up to the interview, the ABC anchors hyped they “couldn’t wait” to reveal the “must see” interview and “excited audience” waiting in Chicago for Obama to arrive. At 7:30am EST George Stephanopoulos announced it was time. “Let's not waste time and go straight to Chicago's south side, Robin is there with Michelle Obama!” he gushed. Roberts gave Obama an equally friendly reception, talking to her as an old friend:
ROBIN ROBERTS: All right, I am here with Michelle Obama. [ Applause ] She has a powerful new memoir out this morning. It is called "Becoming" and it takes readers on her life journey from being a daughter of the south side to a successful career woman, wife, mother and then first lady of the United States.
MICHELLE OBAMA: Then there was that.
ROBERTS: Then there was that. Then there was that. It's a journey! First of all, thank you, thank you so much!
OBAMA: It is. Thank you for this special. Thank you for being you, Robin.
ROBERTS: No, no. [applause] The reaction because people just felt that they were seeing a side to you that they hadn't seen before, how comfortable you were in sharing. Today is the day.
OBAMA: The book's out.
ROBERTS: The book's out! [applause]
The interview mostly stayed personal, with Roberts asking her to comment on childhood photos, even bringing on her brother, Craig Robinson, to ask him what his sister was like as a girl and what she was like after leaving the White House.
“For eight years it was Mrs. Obama, Michelle's back!” the ABC anchor said enthusiastically. “What is she like post-White House? How is she different? How has it been?” she gushed.
After Robinson said the former First Lady was much more relaxed now and less worried about saying the wrong thing, he seemed to allude to Trump which fired up the ABC anchor:
ROBINSON: She’s always very frank and forthright but, you know, when you're in the White House you have have -- you have to watch your words. We talk about it all the time that words mean a lot and we were raised that words mean a lot.
ROBERTS: [jokingly] Don't tempt me, I'll -- don't tempt me!
ABC’s adoration for Obama was also evident in the softball questions she received at the end of the interview:
“What are you most proud of that you accomplished in the White House?”
“You’ve accomplished so much in your life. Some people want to skydive or swim with sharks. What’s left on your list that you still want to do?”
Roberts did get political with two questions, asking what her reaction to the midterms was and joking that she wanted Obama to run in the 2020 presidential election. "2020, I’m looking at you! she said to Obama as the audience clapped.
After that Roberts asked her if she supported Clinton running for president, yet again. Obama carefully avoided the question, joking that she wanted her daughter to run for president.
The media has made a routine of giving the Obamas celebrity treatment in promoting just about everything they do even out of office.
