Barack Obama says meeting Queen Elizabeth lived up to the hype
- President Barack Obama sat down for a candid interview with comedian Hasan Minhaj.
- Obama said Queen Elizabeth was one of a "handful of people" who were just as he'd hoped they'd be.
President Barack Obama said in a new interview that Queen Elizabeth II was among "a handful of people" he'd met who were just as he'd hoped they'd be.
In a YouTube video titled, "I asked President Obama if he's DEPRESSED!?" Obama sat down for a wide-ranging interview with comedian Hasan Minhaj in which he reflected on meeting famous figures during his presidency.
As the two admired a display of signed boxing gloves gifted to Obama by legendary boxer Muhammad Ali, the former president shared that Ali was a "big spirit" and a "big soul" who'd visited his home in Chicago.
"He's one of those folks who — there have been a handful of people who when you meet them you're like, 'Oh, this is exactly what I was hoping,'" he said. "[Nelson] Mandela was one, the Dalai Lama. Queen Elizabeth, surprisingly."
"Queen Elizabeth living up to the hype?" Minhaj said.
"Yeah!" Obama said.
Obama has spoken before about his admiration for Queen Elizabeth
The Obamas visited Buckingham Palace three times during their eight years in the White House.
In a tribute posted to Obama's Twitter account the day of the Queen's funeral in September 2022, the former president shared that she had reminded him of his grandmother "not just in appearance, but also in manner," calling her "very gracious" and "no-nonsense."
He added that she had a "wry sense of humor," was an "excellent listener," and "had a genuine curiosity."
"She could not have been more kind or thoughtful to me and Michelle," Obama said.