Seven times Obama has invoked his daughters in public statements

President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama have been fiercely protective of their daughters’ privacy since winning the White House in 2008. 

The first daughters have spent their formative years in the public eye. Malia Obama was 10 when her father was first elected president and is now 16; Sasha was 7 and is now 13.

{mosads}But the president has also often invoked his daughter’s names — and their attitudes — when making political points.

The most recent instance came during Thursday night’s primetime address on immigration. Here, in reverse chronological order, are seven examples.

Immigration Reform — November 20, 2014

Obama’s televised address was intended to build support for extensive executive action in the face of vigorous opposition from Republicans. In making his case, he drew a parallel between students who are illegal immigrants and have become activists, and his daughters.

“I’ve seen the courage of students who, except for the circumstances of their birth, are as American as Malia or Sasha,” he said. “Students who bravely come out as undocumented in hopes they could make a difference in the country they love.”

Environmental protection — June 25, 2014

In a speech to the League of Conservation Voters, Obama emphasized the urgency of acting on climate change while touting his record of cutting carbon pollution and increasing alternative-energy usage. 

But he also suggested that his daughters, and others of their generation, understood the importance of environmental protection in a way that older people did not.

“The younger generation is more attuned to this than just about anybody,” he said. “You talk to Malia, you talk to Sasha, you talk to your kids or your grandkids, and this is something they get. They don’t need a lot of persuading.”

Same-sex marriage — May 9, 2012

Obama came out in support of same-sex marriage six months before Election Day in 2012 after describing his position as “evolving.” When he decided to back the right to marry, he placed this evolution in the context of his daughters’ mindsets.

He told ABC News that Malia and Sasha had friends whose parents were in same-sex relationships and “it wouldn’t dawn on them that somehow their friends’ parents would be treated differently. It doesn’t make sense to them. And frankly, that’s the kind of thing that prompts a change of perspective — not wanting to somehow explain to your child why somebody should be treated differently.”

Sandra Fluke & Rush Limbaugh — March 6, 2012

Fluke, a Georgetown University student, came to national prominence when she spoke out in support of requiring organizations with religious affiliations, such as Georgetown, to include birth control coverage in their healthcare plans.

Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh reacted with indignation, but his comments — calling Fluke “a prostitute” and “a slut” — provoked intense outrage. Limbaugh later apologized for his “insulting word choices.”

In the midst of the episode, Obama called Fluke to offer his support.

He had done so, he said at a press conference, “because I thought about Malia and Sasha, and one of the things I want them to do as they get older is to engage in issues they care about, even ones I may not agree with them on. I want them to be able to speak their mind in a civil and thoughtful way. And I don’t want them attacked or called horrible names because they’re being good citizens.”

Debt-limit crisis — June 29, 2011

As the 2011 debate over raising the debt ceiling barreled toward full-on crisis, Obama portrayed himself as a stern father figure — one irked by the failure of the squabbling members on Capitol Hill to discharge their responsibilities.

In a White House press conference urging a deal, Obama said: “You know, Malia and Sasha generally finish their homework a day ahead of time … They don’t wait until the night before. They’re not pulling all-nighters. They’re 13 and 10. Congress can do the same thing. If you know you’ve got to so something, just do it.”

Deepwater Horizon oil spill — May 27, 2010

When Obama appeared at a news conference in the East Room of the White House in May 2010, more than a month had gone by since the Deepwater Horizon rig had started to gush oil into the Gulf of Mexico.

With critics complaining that the president appeared disengaged and that the massive spill could come to be seen as his “Katrina moment,” Obama hit on an unusual anecdote to reassure the public that the issue was hitting home.

“My job right now is just to make sure that everybody in the Gulf understands this is what I wake up to in the morning and this is what I go to bed at night thinking about,” he said.

“And it’s not just me, by the way,” Obama continued. “When I woke up this morning and I’m shaving and Malia knocks on my bathroom door and she peeks in her head and she says, ‘Did you plug the hole yet, Daddy?’ ”

Nobel Peace Prize award — October 9, 2009

Aside from invoking his daughters to make serious points, Obama is also fond of talking about their capacity to keep him rooted.

The best example came in late 2009 when Obama, having been in the Oval Office for less than a year, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. 

“Well, this is not how I expected to wake up this morning,” he told the news media who assembled in the White House Rose Garden.

“After I received the news, Malia walked in and said, ‘Daddy, you won the Nobel Peace Prize and it is Bo’s birthday!’ And then Sasha added, ‘Plus, we have a three-day weekend coming up.’ So, it’s good to have kids to keep things in perspective.”