Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign and presidency was built on the promise of hope, something First Lady Michelle Obama thinks we're sorely lacking right now.
In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Obama said she believes her husband's time in office has been successful in keeping the hope alive, but times are changing since Donald Trump's election victory.
"We feel the difference now. See, now, we are feeling what not having hope feels like," she said. "Hope is necessary, it's a necessary concept and Barack didn't just talk about hope because he thought it was a nice slogan to get votes. He and I and so many believe that — what else do you have if you don't have hope? What do you give your kids if you can't give them hope?"
FLOTUS then compared her husband to a parent who reassures their child that everything's alright if they get hurt.
"I feel Barack has been that for the nation in ways that people will come to appreciate. Having a grown-up in the White House who can say to you in times of crisis and turmoil, 'Hey, it's gonna to be okay,'" she continued. "Let's remember the good things that we have, let's look at the future, let's look at all the things that we're building. All of this is important for our kids to stay focused and to feel like their work isn't in vain, that their lives aren't in vain. What do we do if we don't have hope, Oprah?"
During the interview, the two also spoke about race.
"Color, wealth, these things that don't matter still play too much of a role in how we see one another," Obama said. "And it's sad because the thing that least defines us as people is the color of our skin."
See the full interview when it airs Monday on CBS and again on OWN next Wednesday.
