>> IT IS INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE GIRL ON "TODAY."
>> WELCOME BACK TO "TODAY" ON A
VERY SPECIAL THURSDAY MORNING.
OUR PLAZA IS PACKED.
WE HAVE MORE THAN 600 GIRLS FROM
ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, ALL OVER
THE WORLD, ALL HERE TO HELP US
CELEBRATE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF
THE GIRL.
THE GIRL. >> WE HAVE A STAR STUDDED HOUR
IN STORE FOR YOU.
FIRST OUR SPECIAL GUEST, HELP US
WELCOME FORMER FIRST LADY,
MICHELLE OBAMA.
MICHELLE OBAMA. SHE IS HERE WITH A SPECIAL
ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT AN ISSUE THAT
IS NEAR AND DEAR TO HER.
AND WE WELCOME HER.
>> GOOD MORNING.
>> NICE TO SEE YOU.
HOW ARE YOU?
>> MY GOODNESS.
>> WOW.
>> WOW. >> LOOK AT THIS.
>> OH, MY GOODNESS.
>> WELCOME.
>> WELCOME. WELCOME.
WELCOME. >> I WOULD LIKE TO SAY WE DID
NOT ALL PLAN TO WEAR BHIET.
>> WE DID NOT.
IT FEELS LIKE A WHITE DAY.
>> BY THE WAY, CAN I JUST SAY
BEING FIRST LADY MUST HAVE BEEN
SUPER COOL.
SUPER COOL. WHAT IS THE COOLEST THING ABOUT
BEING A FORMER FIRST LADY?
>> YOU KNOW, IT’S THE SMALL
THINGS.
THINGS. IT’S OPENING UP MY DOOR AND
WALKING OUT AND ENJOYING THE
WEATHER AND SITTING ON MY PATIO.
T THE
T THE IT’S THE SMALL THING.
IT’S GOING TO MY GIRL’S GAME AND
JUST REALLY BEING A MOM.
SO THERE’S -- YOU KNOW, THERE’S
NOTHING NEW THAT’S GOING ON.
IT’S JUST THAT WE’RE OUT IN THE
REAL WORLD.
REAL WORLD. WE HAVE A HOUSE.
>> I WAS JUST THINKING ABOUT YOU
AND THE FORMER PRESIDENT IN YOUR
OWN HOUSE, LIKE, IS HE DRIVING
YOU CRAZY?
YOU CRAZY? ARE YOU LIKE TAKE OUT THE TRASH?
IT’S A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN
BEING AT THE WHITE HOUSE.
>> ONE OF THE KEYS TO A
SUCCESSFUL MARRIAGE IS SEPARATE
BATHROOMS.
BATHROOMS. WHEN HE ENTERS MY BATHROOM,
SOMETIMES I’M LIKE WHY ARE YOU
IN HERE?
IN HERE? AND HE’S LIKE I LIVE HERE, CAN I
ENJOY MY BATHROOM TOO, BUT HE’S
BEEN GOOD.
BEEN GOOD. WE’VE BOTH BEEN BUSY.
WE’RE WORKING ON BOOKS.
THAT KEEPS US BUSY.
WE’VE GOT KIDS IN COLLEGE, ONE
KID IN COLLEGE, ONE ON THE WAY.
WE’VE GOT A SENIOR IN HIGH
SCHOOL.
SCHOOL. IT’S ALL THE DRAMA THAT -- WELL,
YOU GUYS DON’T KNOW THIS YET,
BUT SENIOR YEAR IS QUITE
INTENSE, BECAUSE IT’S TESTING.
IT’S APPLICATIONS.
IT’S APPLICATIONS. IT’S GRADES.
IT’S GRADES. SO WE ARE RIDING THAT WAVE WITH
OUR SENIOR.
OUR SENIOR. >> SPEAKING OF YOUR ADORABLE
GIRLS, I WAS WATCHING AN OLD
INTERVIEW YOU DID WITH OPRAH
WHEN YOU WERE LEAVING THE WHITE
HOUSE.
HOUSE. YOU SAID THE EIGHT YEARS IN THE
WHITE HOUSE ARE EITHER GOING TO
MAKE OR BREAK MY GIRLS.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> WHAT IS THE VERDICT ON HOW IT
WORKED?
WORKED? >> THEY’RE DOING WELL.
I’M SO PROUD OF THEM.
THEY ARE SOME OF THE REASONS WHY
THIS ISSUE MEANS SO MUCH TO ME,
BECAUSE I THINK ABOUT WHAT IT
MEANS FOR THEM TO HAVE THEIR
VOICE AND TO COME OUT OF THOSE
EIGHT YEARS CONFIDENT AND
POISED.
POISED. AS JENNA KNOWS, IT IS TOUGH
GROWING UP IN THE PUBLIC EYE,
AND THEY SPENT THE MAJORITY OF
THEIR LIFE IN THE INTERNATIONAL
SPOTLIGHT.
SPOTLIGHT. NOW IN SOCIAL MEDIA EVERYTHING
IS BLOWN OUT OF PROPORTION.
THEY’RE DOWN TO EARTH.
THEY ARE HUMBLE.
THEY ARE NORMAL.
AND IT HAS BEEN A HUGE RELIEF.
I SAID THIS BEFORE.
IT TOOK ME SEVERAL MONTHS IN THE
WHITE HOUSE BEFORE I COULD TAKE
A DEEP BREATH, BECAUSE I KNEW
THAT THIS TRANSITION WASN’T
GOING TO TAKE THEM OUT.
AND I TALK ABOUT IT IN MY BOOK,
REMEMBERING THE FIRST DAY THEY
WENT TO SCHOOL, AND IT WAS
BEFORE BARACK TOOK OFFICE.
WE WERE LIVING IN A HOTEL OUT OF
SUITCASES.
SUITCASES. THEY WERE STARTING A NEW SCHOOL.
THEY WERE IN THEIR ARMORED
VEHICLES WITH MENS WITH GUNS
GOING OFF TO A NEW SCHOOL, AND I
JUST THOUGHT WHAT ON EARTH ARE
WE DOING TO THEM?
I JUST PRAYED AND HOPED AND
THANKED GOD THEY’RE GOOD, AND
IT’S BECAUSE OF THE LOVE OF SO
MANY PEOPLE IN THEIR LIVES AND
THE SUPPORT.
THE SUPPORT. SO THEY ARE ON THE OTHER END,
AND I AM SO PROUD OF THEM.
THEY’RE DOING WELL.
THANK YOU FOR ASKING.
>> YOU’RE PROUD AND RELIEVED.
AND THESE ARE TOUGH TIMES
POLITICALLY THAT WE ARE LIVING
IN.
IN. YOU WERE FAMOUS AT THE
DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION FOR SAYING
WHEN THEY GO LOW, WE GO HIGH.
AND JUST THIS WEEK THE FORMER
ATTORNEY GENERAL, ERIK HOLDER
WHO WORKED FOR YOUR HUSBAND SAID
THE DEMOCRATS SHOULD HAVE A NEW
MOTTO.
MOTTO. WHEN THEY GO LOW, WE SHOULD KICK
THEM.
THEM. HILLARY CLINTON SAID HOW CAN WE
BE CIVIL WHEN OUR OPPONENTS ARE
TRYING TO TAKE AWAY EVERYTHING
WE STAND FOR?
AND I THOUGHT WHAT WOULD YOU SAY
NOW ABOUT YOUR MOTTO?
DO YOU THINK IT STILL STANDS?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. FEAR IS NOT -- IT’S NOT A PROPER
MOTIVATOR.
MOTIVATOR. HOPE WINS OUT.
AND IF YOU THINK ABOUT HOW YOU
WANT YOUR KIDS TO BE RAISED, HOW
YOU WANT THEM TO THINK ABOUT
LIFE AND THEIR OPPORTUNITIES, DO
YOU WANT THEM AFRAID OF THEIR
NEIGHBORS?
NEIGHBORS? DO YOU WANT THEM ANGRY?
DO YOU WANT THEM VENGEFUL?
IF WE THINK OF THE VALUES THAT
WE TRY TO PROMOTE TO OUR
CHILDREN, SAVANNAH, YOU’RE A
MOTHER RIGHT NOW, AND AT THIS
POINT YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT
WHAT ARE THE THINGS YOU’RE
TELLING YOUR GIRLS?
WHICH MOTTO DO YOU WANT THEM TO
LIVE BY?
LIVE BY? AND I HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THAT
AS A MOTHER, AS SOMEONE WHO IS A
ROLE MODEL TO YOUNG GIRLS.
WE WANT THEM TO GROW UP WITH
PROMISE AND HOPE.
AND WE CAN’T MODEL SOMETHING
DIFFERENT IF WE WANT THEM TO BE
BETTER THAN THAT.
>> THERE WAS A TINY MOMENT AT
JOHN McCAIN’S FUNERAL WHERE
FORMER PRESIDENT BUSH HANDED YOU
A COUGH DROP.
IT MAY HAVE BEEN A NOTHING TO
SOME PEOPLE, BUT WHEN YOU WATCH
THAT MOMENT, WE REALIZED HOW
IMPORTANT THAT TINY MOMENT WAS.
RIGHT?
RIGHT? >> I DIDN’T REALIZE AT THE TIME
THAT ANYBODY NOTICED WHAT WE
WERE DOING.
WERE DOING. WE WERE SITTING TOGETHER.
YOU KNOW, PRESIDENT BUSH AND I,
WE ARE FOREVER SEAT MATES
BECAUSE OF PROTOCOL, THAT’S HOW
WE SIT AT ALL THE OFFICIAL
FUNCTIONS.
FUNCTIONS. HE IS MY PARTNER IN CRIME AT
EVERY MAJOR THING.
WE’RE TOGETHER ALL THE TIME.
I LOVE HIM TO DEATH.
HE’S A WONDERFUL MAN.
HE’S A FUNNY MAN.
IT WAS A SIMPLE GESTURE.
HE WAS GETTING A COUGH DROP FROM
LAURA, AND I LOOKED OVER AND
SAID HAND ME A COUGH DROP.
HE WAS LIKE OH, OKAY.
AND I WILL ADD THAT THEY WERE
OLD COUGH DROPS.
THAT’S THE FUNNY THING, BECAUSE
THEY WERE IN THE LITTLE WHITE
HOUSE BOX, THE ALTOIDS.
I WAS LIKE HOW LONG HAVE YOU HAD
THESE?
THESE? HE SAID A LONG TIME.
WE GOT A LOT OF THESE.
>> WELL, IT WAS ONE OF THOSE
MOMENTS HAVE PEOPLE FELT LIKE
OH, THERE’S A LITTLE BIPARTISAN
MOMENT EVEN AS SIMPLE AS A COUGH
DROP.
DROP. >> THAT’S WHY IT MATTERS SO
MUCH.
MUCH. THAT’S WHAT PEOPLE ARE HUNGRY
FOR.
FOR. THEY’RE HUNGRY FOR WHAT WE ALL
KNOW, PARTY DOESN’T SEPARATE US,
COLOR, GENDER, THOSE KIND OF
THINGS DON’T SEPARATE US.
IT’S THE MESSAGES THAT WE SEND.
AND IF WE’RE THE ADULTS AND THE
LEADERS IN THE ROOM AND WE’RE
NOT SHOWING THAT LEVEL OF
DECENCY, WE CANNOT EXPECT OUR
CHILDREN TO DO THE SAME.
SO THAT’S WHAT I THINK ABOUT
WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE GESTURES
AND THE SYMBOLS AND WHAT OUR
WORDS MEAN, AND THE IMPACT THAT
IT HAS, I THINK ABOUT THE NEXT
GENERATION.
GENERATION. EVERY SINGLE TIME.
>> YOU HAVE A LOT TO SAY ON THAT
TOPIC, THE NEXT GENERATION.
WE’RE GOING TO PAUSE OUR
CONVERSATION HERE, AND WHEN WE
COME BACK, MRS. OBAMA’S BIG
ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT WHAT SHE’S
DOING TO HELP GIRLS AROUND THE
WORLD.
WORLD. >> PLUS JENNA TAKES OUR
CELEBRATION GLOBAL INTRODUCING
US TO THE REMARKABLE WOMEN THAT
SHE MET ON A TRIP TO AFRICA.
>>> AND THIS CROWD ISN’T HERE
FOR NOTHING.
FOR NOTHING. WE HAVE AN EPIC CONCERT.
BACK TO BACK.
WE ARE CELEBRATING INTERNATIONAL
DAY OF THE GIRL.