Michelle Obama opens up about 2009 Grand Canyon wardrobe controversy

Former first lady Michelle Obama revealed in a recent episode of her podcast that she became furious after a moment on Air Force One in 2009 when she debated whether to wear Bermuda shorts while on vacation — which ultimately led to controversy.

“The fact that we had to spend time thinking about this stuff in a way that my husband didn’t, it was really infuriating,” Obama said during an episode of her podcast, “IMO With Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson,” which she co-hosts with her brother. “Then an article, a negative article, still arrived.”

The former first lady explained that in August 2009, she and the former president were scheduled to leave Air Force One for a hike in the Grand Canyon while on vacation for the first time since the inauguration earlier that year. Although she worried about what outfit would be appropriate for a first lady and would not draw public criticism, Barack Obama didn’t need to spend any effort thinking about his outfit, she said.

“It was 100 degrees,” Michelle Obama recalled of the conversation. “Barack – I was like, ‘Well, what are you wearing?’ He said to me, “Well, I’m going to put on some sneakers, I’m going to take off my jacket and roll up my sleeves” because that’s what men can do. White shirt, no collar or tie. That’s how he changed.”

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Then-first lady Michelle Obama and her daughter Malia step off Air Force One on August 16, 2009, upon arrival at the Grand Canyon National Park Airport in Grand Canyon, Arizona. (Mandel Ngan/Getty Images)

Michelle Obama said she debated whether to wear hiking shorts or a dress before wearing Bermuda shorts.

“I can’t wear hiking shorts there, or a dress to go hiking,” she said. “That would be crazy. People would call me “out of touch” and “anti-American.” I’m at the Grand Canyon in a long dress with flat shoes? I thought, “That’s not how people go to the Grand Canyon.” » »

“I ultimately opted for what I liked best,” Michelle Obama continued. “And it was Bermuda shorts. Because if we’re going on a hike, that’s how a normal person would go on a hike.”

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The former first lady faced backlash for her attire, as pundits at the time criticized that a first lady wearing shorts while leaving Air Force One was too casual, with media outlets publishing headlines such as “Who Wears Short Shorts? Michelle Obama”, “First Lady’s Shorts Draw Long, Hard Looks” and “Michelle Obama: Shorts Heard Around the World”.

The former first lady revealed that a 2009 controversy over an outfit she wore on vacation left her furious. (Prakash Singh/Getty Images)

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Michelle Obama said in 2013 that she would no longer wear shorts on Air Force One after the 2009 outfit caused “a huge stink.” She explained at the time that she had made a more relaxed choice because “we’re on vacation.”

First lady Melania Trump has also faced backlash over her dressing, including in 2017 when she wore a baseball cap and jeans to Texas after Hurricane Harvey, which was considered by some critics to be too casual, and again in 2018 when she wore a green jacket on a trip to visit the border that said, “I really don’t care. Do you?”

First lady Melania Trump leaves Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, on June 21, 2018, wearing a jacket emblazoned with the words “I Don’t Care, Right?” following his surprise visit with migrant children at the US-Mexico border. (Mandel Ngan/Getty Images)

Melania Trump later told media that she was wearing the jacket as a message to liberal media and other critics: “I want to show them that I don’t care,” she told ABC News in 2018.

President Barack Obama, Michelle Obama and their daughters visit Hopi Point at Grand Canyon National Park August 16, 2009, in Arizona. (Mandel Ngan/Getty Images)

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Fox News Digital reached out to Michelle Obama’s office on Tuesday for additional comment on the matter, but did not immediately receive a response.