The ex-FLOTUS was quick to defend close friend Ellen DeGeneres after the TV show host grappled with public backlash after being photographed with former president George W. Bush. Ms DeGeneres was with Bush at a Dallas Cowboys game, with fans of the long-time comedian claiming Ms DeGeneres had betrayed her liberal values by being with him.
Michelle was quick to Ms DeGeneres’ defence and attempted to play down the outrage.
In an interview with Bush’s daughter, Jenna Bush Hager, on Today, Michelle compared the relationship to that of her own with the former president.
Ms Hager asked her: “I think you’re friends with both Ellen and my dad, and they sat next to each other which caused some sort of online backlash.
“Your husband recently talked about the dangers of cancel culture.
“What do you say to people who want to be closer to each other?”
Michelle replied: “I had the opportunity to sit by your father at funerals, the highs and the lows and we shared stories about our kids and about our parents.
“Our values are the same.
“We disagree on policy, but we don’t disagree on humanity.
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Michelle said Bush was her “partner in crime” at such events, and usually sits with the former Republican president as they are good friends.
Speaking of Bush, she previously told Today: “I love him to death.
“He’s a wonderful man, he’s a funny man.”
Ms DeGeneres has stood up for herself following the backlash, most notably during her show in October.
She encouraged the live audience and viewers at home to see beyond politics and understand that friendships transcend political beliefs.
She said: “Here’s the thing, I’m friends with George Bush.
“In fact, I’m friends with a lot of people who don’t share the same beliefs that I have.
“We’re all different, and I think that we’ve forgotten that that’s OK that we’re all different.”
Ms DeGeneres added that she and her wife had been invited to watch the Dallas Cowboys play the Green Bay Packers at the stadium in Dallas by Charlotte Jones.
She said: “She’s the daughter of Jerry Jones who owns the Dallas Cowboys.
“And we went because we wanted to keep up with the Joneses.”
She explained Ms Jones had “fancy” friends and then showed her fans a video she took from the game, panning around the stadium until it reaches Bush who is sat next to her, grinning.