First lady Michelle Obama sat down with Oprah Winfrey for her final White House interview, where she addressed her husband's administration, legacy, and message of hope.
In a clip from "CBS This Morning," Oprah asks if President Barack Obama has "stayed true to a core belief" after campaigning heavily on a message of hope.
"Yes," the First Lady said. "I do. Because we feel the difference now. See, now, we are feeling what not having hope feels like. You know? Hope is necessary. It's a necessary concept and Barack didn't just talk about hope because he thought it was just a nice slogan to get votes. I mean, 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? You know?" the first lady continued, comparing the president to a parent, and the nation to his child. "Our children respond to crises the way they see us respond. You know? It's like the toddler that bumps his head on the table and they look up at you to figure out whether it hurts and if you're like, 'oh, my god! They are crying!' But if you're like, 'you know what, babe, it's okay, it's okay.'
"I feel that way about the nation. I feel Barack has been that for the nation in ways that people will come to appreciate," she continued. "Having a grown-up in the White House who can say to you in times of crisis and turmoil, hey, it's going to be okay. Let's remember the good things that we have. Let's look at the future and let's look at all of the things that we are 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 are not in vain.
"What do we do if we don't have hope, Oprah?"
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