NEWSEmotional Michelle Obama Rode in Car With Daughters and 'No Secret Service' for the First Time as Mother's Day Gift: 'I Had Never Experienced That'
Michelle Obama recalled getting fast food with her daughters in Los Angeles.
Aug. 12 2026, Published 6:21 p.m. ET
Michelle Obama looked back on a fun memory involving daughters Sasha and Malia Obama.
The former first lady, 62, had guest Megan Thee Stallion on the Wednesday, August 12, episode of her podcast "IMO," where she recounted the joyous time she and her daughters rode in a car without their Secret Service agents.
Michelle Obama recounted the fun memory on a new episode of her podcast.
Malia, 28, and Sasha, 25, gifted the Becoming author the outing as a Mother's Day present when they were vacationing in Los Angeles, Calif.
“I just for the first time drove in a car with my daughters by ourselves [and no Secret Service]. That was their Mother's Day gift for me, and I could cry, right? Because they don't live in a bubble, as you've seen," Michelle spilled. "And one of the reasons is, they did. And they don't want it. They don't want parts of it."
Sasha Obama Drove the Car With Her Mother and Sister Next to Her
Michelle Obama and her daughters were headed to Palm Springs at the time of their car adventure.
"But for my Mother's Day gift, I was in L.A. And we were going to go to Palm Springs. So, they surprised me and arranged for me to ride in the car with them. So, Sasha drove, Malia was in the back," the lawyer said. "They were taught well, but I had never experienced that. So that, is like freedom."
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Michelle Obama divulged that Secret Service agents taught her children to drive.
Michelle continued: "I'm 62 years old. But that's like starting to put some normal back into it. It's just like a simple car ride. Yeah. That's like joy. That's gratitude. That's happiness."
During their mother-daughter joyride, the trio stopped by McDonald's and the West Coast favorite In-and-Out Burger to grab some food.
Michelle, Malia and Sasha Obama went through a McDonald's drive-thru undetected.
The three went to the drive-thru of McDonald's and felt the adrenaline rush of not being recognized by the public.
"[The employees] didn't know. You wouldn't believe. They didn't even know, because it was like they weren't expecting it. I had on a hat and Sasha ordered," Michelle quipped.
Sasha and Malia Obama Learned to Drive From Their Secret Service Officers
Michelle Obama called her youngest daughter, Sasha, a 'good' driver.
The Light We Carry memoirist also divulged how "good" of a driver her youngest daughter is. "I had never driven with Sasha because we couldn't drive with them when we were [riding in a motorcade]," Michelle said.
She also revealed that her children did not learn how to steer an automobile from their dad, Barack Obama, but from their Secret Service agents.
