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Wild Card with Rachel Martin

Michelle Obama doesn't regret saying 'no'

Wild Card with Rachel Martin

NPR

Society & Culture

4.7990 Ratings

🗓️ 26 June 2025

⏱️ 43 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Michelle Obama says she's never truly been able to realize her own ambition. But now she's changing that. She's saying "no" to what's expected of her and "yes" to what she wants to do, including starting a podcast with her brother, "IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson." She reflects with Rachel on owning her decisions and the words her mom told her at the end of her life.

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Transcript

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0:00.0

This message comes from We Disrupt This Broadcast.

0:03.0

Each episode explores how the minds behind critically acclaimed TV shows reimagined the world

0:08.5

and tackle the big issues that move people forward.

0:11.7

Subscribe to We Disrupt This Broadcast, wherever you get your podcasts.

0:16.7

Has ambition ever led you astray?

0:20.0

Wow. I don't know if my ambition has ever fully been able to actualize itself.

0:29.3

I think I'm now at a stage in my life where all my choices are mine.

0:34.9

I'm Rachel Martin, and this is Wildcard, the show where cards control the conversation.

0:41.5

Each week, my guest answers questions about their life, questions pulled from a deck of cards.

0:47.8

They're allowed to skip one question and to flip one back on me. My guest this week is

0:53.0

former first lady, Michelle Obama. I am not going to be in

0:57.0

politics. I'm not giving another political speech. I'm not campaigning for another candidate,

1:02.2

but I'm here. Michelle Obama has lived a lot of her adult life under immense scrutiny, which

1:08.8

meant carefully thinking through every word she uttered in public.

1:13.1

But she is in a place in her life now where she gets to integrate her public and private self a little more.

1:19.7

And for listeners to her new podcast, eager to hear what she has learned in this life, it is a real gift.

1:25.7

The podcast is called IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson, her brother.

1:30.6

And I am so very happy to welcome Michelle Obama to Wildcard.

1:34.7

Thank you.

1:35.3

Thank you for being here.

1:36.6

Rachel, I'm at Wildcard.

1:38.0

Yay, baby.

...

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