Michelle Obama is under fire for comments many are calling wildly out of touch, following a podcast appearance where she lamented the personal costs of living in the White House — even while taxpayers covered nearly everything.

Speaking on a May 1 podcast, Obama said raising children as First Lady came with unexpected expenses, complaining that food and travel weren’t covered unless the family traveled with President Barack Obama. “You’re paying for every bit of food that you eat,” she said. “Even travel — if you’re not traveling with the president, you have to pay.”

What she left out? Her husband earned $400,000 a year as commander-in-chief, lived rent-free with full staffing, and left office with book and media deals that have since ballooned their net worth to at least $70 million.

Editor and columnist John Loftus ripped her remarks as tone-deaf. “No, for Michelle to fully enjoy the luxuries of a First Lady, not a single dime of her own money should be spent, ever,” he wrote, adding that the rest of America “paid for everything themselves — from mortgages and healthcare to groceries.”

Loftus called her story “absurd,” especially given how the Obamas capitalized on their time in Washington. “The Obamas entered the Oval Office with a net worth estimated between $1.3 million and $1.8 million,” he noted. “They’re now sitting on tens of millions thanks to Netflix deals, speaking gigs, and massive book advances.”

Michelle’s remarks touched a nerve among critics who see the former First Lady — once praised for her connection to working-class Americans — now sounding more like the elite she used to distance herself from. In the podcast, she claimed the financial burden of First Family life was especially hard because “it’s dangerous” and there were “death threats” over Barack’s race, adding, “How would we afford it?”

That line — “How would we afford it?” — is particularly jarring to many Americans struggling with real economic hardship, in an era where inflation, mortgage rates, and food prices continue to soar.

Beyond the politics, critics say the real issue is entitlement. The White House provides world-class security, housing, staffing, transportation, and prestige — all on the taxpayer’s dime. Yet the former First Lady seemed frustrated that she had to cover a few personal meals and private trips for her daughters.

“It’s like complaining that your free limo doesn’t come with heated seats,” one conservative commentator wrote on X.

Loftus, who has regularly criticized liberal hypocrisy in elite circles, used the episode to highlight what he sees as the Democratic Party’s growing disconnect from average Americans. “It’s no wonder the Democratic Party wants to leave behind the Obamas,” he wrote. “No one wants to listen to them anymore.”

He argued that while ordinary Americans are burdened with real struggles — affording groceries, saving for college, surviving layoffs — the former First Lady’s concerns center on luxury travel costs and meal bills at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Michelle Obama has not responded to the criticism, and neither has Barack. But with her name occasionally floated in 2028 political speculation, the timing of her comments could prove costly. As one GOP strategist put it, “Every minute she spends reminding Americans how expensive it was to live in the White House is a gift to Republicans.”

For now, the Obamas remain two of the most powerful and wealthy post-presidency figures in modern American history. But for many Americans, Michelle’s latest remarks only confirm what they’ve long suspected: the ruling class just doesn’t get it.