**Michelle Obama Reflects on Air Force One Debate Over Bermuda Shorts in 2009**

*Fox News* | November 12, 2025 | By Emma Colton

Former First Lady Michelle Obama recently shared a revealing moment from 2009 on an episode of her podcast, expressing her frustration over a seemingly simple decision about what to wear while on Air Force One.

In August 2009, Michelle and President Barack Obama were preparing to depart Air Force One for a hike in the Grand Canyon during their first vacation since the inauguration earlier that year. The former first lady candidly recounted how she found herself agonizing over what attire would be deemed appropriate for a first lady—concerned about how the public might perceive her outfit.

“The fact that we had to spend time thinking about that kind of stuff in ways that my husband didn’t—it was really infuriating,” Michelle Obama said during the podcast episode.

She described the scene: “It was 100 degrees. I asked Barack, ‘Well, what are you wearing?’ He said, ‘I’m gonna throw on some sneakers, take my jacket off, and roll my sleeves up,’ because that’s what men can do. White shirt, no collar, no tie. That was how he changed.”

In contrast, Michelle noted, “I can’t wear hiking shorts there, and I can’t wear a dress to hike. That would be crazy. People would call me ‘disconnected’ and ‘un-American.’ I’m at the Grand Canyon in a tea-length dress with flats? I was like, ‘That’s not how people go to the Grand Canyon.’”

After considering her options, she ultimately chose to wear Bermuda shorts. “I eventually opted for the thing that felt mostly me. And it was the Bermuda shorts. Because if we’re going on a hike, this is how a normal person would go on a hike.”

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**Reader Comments from Free Republic**

1. **simpson96:** (Original poster)
2. **Magnum44:** “INSUFFERABLE.”
3. **Psalm 73:** “That chip is the size of a friggin’ redwood. Lucky she has the shoulders to carry it. ‘Ingrate’ comes to mind.”
4. **rktman:** “Queen of the grievance culture. What millionaire woman doesn’t have lots to gripe about?”
5. **hinckley buzzard:** “Resist the narrative.”

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https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/4352136/posts