Trending 11th January 2017 by Paula Lyne

Here’s The Reason Sasha Obama Was A No-Show At Her Dad’s Farewell Speech

She wasn't even in the same state as him.

Throughout his Presidency, Barack Obama’s wife Michelle and daughters Sasha and Obama have frequently stood by his side for everything from Thanksgiving Turkey Pardons to formal welcomes for foreign dignitaries.

Yesterday though, as the 55-year-old made his final speech as President of the United States, only two of his three family members were present. Sasha Obama’s absence quickly sparked a furore online, with #WhereIsSasha trending on Twitter within minutes.

While Malia’s absence might have been more easily explained, given that she’s on a gap year before starting at Harvard this autumn and spent the summer interning for the UN in Madrid, it was Sasha who failed to show up for the speech in her dad’s hometown of Chicago yesterday.

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When pressed, though White House officials revealed the reason behind Sasha’s absence, and it was a fairly normal one. With a big exam coming up this week, the 15-year-old reportedly opted to stay in Washington D.C., 700 miles away.

Opted, or was made to by Michelle? Hard to say.


Sasha is a student at Sidwell Friends, a private school in D.C. which Malia also attended. The exclusive school is a favourite among Presidential children: Chelsea Clinton, Tricia Nixon Cox, and Archibald Roosevelt also studied there.

Despite Sasha’s absence, President Obama made sure to include her in his speech, praising her and Malia for growing into “amazing young women… under the strangest of circumstances.”

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