Malia and – Malia Obama and Sasha Obama made a rare joint appearance in Chicago on June 18, joining Barack and Michelle Obama on stage for the grand opening of the Obama Presidential Center on the South Side.
On June 18, the Obama Presidential Center opening in Chicago pulled the spotlight in the direction the Obamas rarely share in public: onto their daughters.
Malia Obama and Sasha Obama appeared together for the grand opening. joining Barack Obama and Michelle Obama on stage as the former president and the former first lady unveiled the massive South Side campus. It was a brief moment of family visibility—one of the few times both sisters have stepped into the same public frame since leaving the White House in January 2017.
Since then, Malia and Sasha have largely kept their lives private, with appearances mostly limited to select major events. Sasha, for instance, was last seen at the February NBA All-Star Game in Inglewood, Calif.
Barack and Michelle have shared quieter glimpses along the way. including family photos posted on social media. and Barack has also spoken candidly about the direction he expects his daughters to take. He has said—famously and plainly—that Malia and Sasha will ‘never’ join politics. In June 2024. at a fundraiser for then-President Joe Biden in Los Angeles. Barack said that neither Malia nor Sasha would ever run for president when Jimmy Kimmel asked who might be the better leader.
The former president recalled Michelle “drilled into them so early” that politics would never be the path, adding: “It’ll never happen,” as reported in the People account of his remarks.
For readers watching from afar, the evidence points elsewhere. The daughters’ public work since the White House has leaned firmly toward careers outside politics—especially in film.
Malia Obama, 27, has built a path in the film industry and occasionally appears on red carpets. She has worked with Donald Glover on projects including Amazon Prime’s Swarm. and she also marked a major personal milestone with her short film directorial debut. The Heart. The film was released under the name Malia Ann and screened at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival. the 2023 Telluride Film Festival. and the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. In September 2024, it earned the Young Spirit Award at the Deauville American Film Festival in France.
Sasha Obama has remained even more private. She graduated with a sociology degree from the University of Southern California in 2023, and her professional pursuits have stayed largely out of the public eye.
A few days before the Chicago appearance, Michelle marked Sasha’s private life turning outward for a moment. On June 10. Michelle took to Instagram to share a tribute for Sasha as she turned 25. writing: “It’s been such a joy watching you grow into a brilliant. beautiful young woman as you blaze a trail of your own. I couldn’t be prouder of you,” in the caption.
Malia, meanwhile, is set to turn 28 on July 4.
The June 18 appearance didn’t change the bigger picture. It simply offered a rare, on-stage snapshot of a family that has chosen—at least publicly—to keep its daughters’ next chapters largely their own, away from the political spotlight Barack once insisted would never come.
Malia Obama Sasha Obama Barack Obama Michelle Obama Obama Presidential Center Chicago South Side June 18 The Heart Swarm Young Spirit Award Sundance Film Festival
So they’re just doing a stage thing now? Nice.
I don’t even get why everyone’s acting like it’s news. They were literally there for the center opening. Also didn’t Barack say they’d never do politics like… last week? People always forget the past headlines.
It says “evidence points elsewhere” and I’m like, evidence of what exactly? Because they showed up on stage with their parents? That’s not politics lol. But also Obama Center on the South Side… so maybe it’s like a campaign? Idk my brain can’t keep up.
If Barack said “never” then why does it feel like they’re being positioned anyway? Like Malia in film, Sasha at sports stuff, and suddenly it’s “rare joint appearance.” Feels curated. Also I heard Sasha was doing something in entertainment and now this… just seems like politics adjacent. Probably still not running though, sure.