A misleading video clip of former First Lady Michelle Obama is making the rounds online, falsely suggesting she referred to herself as a “Black man” during a recent podcast episode. The clip, shared widely on X (formerly Twitter), has revived long-debunked conspiracy theories about Obama’s gender.
The short clip, posted by conservative commentator Paul Szypula on April 30, shows Obama saying, “That warms my heart, particularly as a Black man.” Szypula captioned it, “Interpret as you wish.” The implication quickly spread, with some users calling it a “slip up.”
But a review of the full April 23 episode of IMO With Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson shows the clip was taken completely out of context. Obama was addressing guest Marlon Wayans and referencing his experience as a Black man. She was not speaking about herself.
The full sentence, community notes on X clarified, should be read as: “That warms my heart. Particularly as a Black man, would you care to share…”, a question directed at Wayans during a conversation about his transgender child and the experiences of Black men and women in public life.
Snopes and other fact-checking organizations have repeatedly debunked the conspiracy that Michelle Obama is transgender. The rumor resurfaced earlier in February 2025, when Errol Musk, father of Elon Musk, made similar unfounded claims in a podcast.
