Former First Lady Michelle Obama’s recent podcast comments have reignited debate over affirmative action after she admitted her SAT scores were too low to qualify for Princeton without racial consideration, as reported [1] by The Gateway Pundit.
Her remarks drew immediate reaction from conservative commentators, including journalist Megyn Kelly and historian Victor Davis Hanson, who said Obama’s comments unintentionally made the argument against the very policy she defends.
During an episode of her podcast, Obama said, “All my scores said I did not belong in Princeton… and people saw my skin color and they said ‘you are aiming too high.’”
Michelle Obama: “All my scores said I did not belong in Princeton” pic.twitter.com/d6BsNjam1u [2]
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) October 17, 2025 [3]
The statement quickly circulated on social media, with many suggesting she had confirmed that her admission was based more on race than merit.
Kelly responded by saying, “She got into Princeton and got a lifetime of advantages that she’s still living high on the hog from, but she’s still bitter.”
Hanson agreed, arguing that Obama’s own experience undermines the fairness of affirmative action, which he and other critics describe as discriminatory.
The controversy follows the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark 2023 ruling that ended race-based admissions at Harvard and the University of North Carolina.
In a 6-2 decision against Harvard and 6-3 against UNC, the Court found that race-conscious admissions policies violated the Equal Protection Clause. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson recused herself from the Harvard case due to her prior role on the university’s board of overseers.
After the Court’s ruling, Michelle Obama released a lengthy statement expressing disappointment, saying she was “one of the few Black students” at her college and often wondered whether people assumed she had been admitted because of affirmative action.
