Former First Lady Michelle Obama ignited a firestorm of criticism over what Trump supporters called a “gloomy” New Year’s message posted to Instagram, just weeks before President-elect Donald Trump’s scheduled return to the White House following his landslide victory over Vice President Kamala Harris.
“I know it’s been a difficult few months for so many of us – and folks are feeling a little bit anxious and uncertain,” Obama said in the minute-and-a-half video message. “But even during these tough times, there are plenty of reasons to stay hopeful.”
Trump supporters immediately attacked the message. “Twenty-four more days and we are out of this nightmare you and your husband created for the American people!” one commenter wrote. Another added: “What a joke. Trump can hopefully fix the mess your husband has gotten this country into.”
The video showcased the Obama Foundation’s work with young change-makers worldwide and highlighted construction progress at the $830 million Obama Presidential Center on Chicago’s South Side. The 19-acre campus will include a museum, forum building, plaza, athletic center, and public park when it opens in 2025.
The backlash follows Trump’s decisive November victory, where he secured 312 electoral votes to Harris’s 226, marking one of the largest electoral margins in recent presidential history. The results showed a dramatic shift from pre-election polls showing Harris a narrow lead in key battleground states.
Michelle Obama had been a prominent voice during the campaign, delivering more than 30 speeches for Harris in the final months. At a crucial Pennsylvania rally three days before the election, she warned against leaders who “stoke our fears and focus our fury on one another.” Without naming Trump directly, she criticized those who “wink at hate and make it normal to call somebody a bimbo, or low IQ or human scum.”
The former First Lady’s campaign rhetoric sharply contrasted with her famous “When they go low, we go high” message from the 2016 campaign. In October 2024, she described Trump as a “skilled con man” during a Philadelphia rally attended by over 25,000 supporters.
After Trump won the election, Barack and Michelle Obama issued a joint statement expressing their disappointment with the results while emphasizing the need for national unity. They acknowledged that in America’s diverse society, disagreements are inevitable but stressed that progress can only happen when people extend good faith and grace to those with opposing views.
The controversial New Year’s message has received over 500,000 likes and 8,700 comments on Instagram, with responses split largely along partisan lines. Trump supporters celebrated his upcoming return to office, while Obama’s followers praised her message of resilience and hope.
The video message appeared just as the Obama Foundation submitted its final 2024 annual report highlighting $240 million in new donations and partnerships with 160 civic organizations across 12 cities.
In Chicago, construction at the Presidential Center site continues on schedule and budget, with over 300 residents hired through the project’s workforce development program. Despite the social media controversy, Obama maintains an active public schedule, with three major foundation events planned for early 2025.
