Sasha And Malia Obama 8 Years Later: First Daughters Escaped Nasty Grip Of Politics, Made Outgoing POTUS Proud

First Daughters Sasha Obama and Malia Obama have made their doting dad proud.

With just days before the transfer of power takes place and Donald Trump is sworn in as the 45th President of the United States, Barack Obama reflected on Sasha and Malia‘s journey and how their lives have been impacted over eight years in the White House. ABC News‘ George Stephanopoulos, who has interviewed the president 12 times, chatted with the outgoing commander-in-chief about the Obama girls.

The seasoned journalist recalls in an earlier conversation with the president how he and Michelle Obama were a bit apprehensive about bringing their daughters to Washington. Obama reflected on his first term and breathed a sigh of relief that the girls managed to weather the political tarmac pretty well — all things considered.

Farewell to the first daughters: Malia and Sasha’s best moments over the past 8 years https://t.co/8CRIlHlPut pic.twitter.com/MN0z7EChsZ

— TODAY (@TODAYshow) January 5, 2017

Obama said time only knows how Malia and Sasha would have turned out had they grown up a “normal” life in their Chicago neighborhood. However, he’s relieved that they “have turned out to be terrific young women.” He continued to gush over his daughters.

“They are sweet, kind, funny, smart, respectful people, and they treat everybody with respect. You know, we feel pretty good when… they go to other folks’ houses and when the parents say, ‘Oh you know, Malia, she’s just so sweet,’ or ‘Sasha helped to pick up the dishes. What is it that you’re doing?'”

When the junior senator from Illinois was sworn in for his first term as POTUS, Sasha and Malia were 7 and 10, respectively. Today, the eldest daughter is preparing for college and the youngest is counting down her last two years in high school.

As Obama admitted, his daughters had to warm up to the idea of having very little privacy. Secret Service agents with earpieces, black SUVs and guns were imposing for a time, but the girls eventually embraced their new life and the weight of their father’s office.

The president praised his daughters for helping him with the transition into the White House. Although they were away from their home in Chi-Town, the girls were constant fixtures in his life and their playful presence, nagging — with or without pajamas — made him feel like he was in a home-away-from-home. He said the benefit of watching the girls grow up was priceless and it made life easier for him.

The Obamas return to D.C. from their final vacation as First Family. See how much Sasha and Malia have grown https://t.co/I3BeSnM9e7

— BET (@BET) January 4, 2017

As a parent, one can only hope that their children turn out to be model citizens and are free from ill health, financial turmoil, abuse of any kind and scandal. Even for a president and first lady, they are not immune from the latter, despite all the prestige and protections that accompany a stay at 1600 Pennsylvania Boulevard.

Case in point: as the Inquisitr previously reported, the eldest daughter, Malia, gave the world — and, undoubtedly, her parents — cause for alarm when she became the subject of drug and rehab rumors last year. She was noticeably absent from the White House’s Annual Christmas Tree Lighting last month, which sparked rumors that she was secretly in a rehabilitation center to cope with her “rebellious stage.”

“One of the last times Malia Obama made news for her partying spree was during a visit to Martha’s Vineyard in which she was rushed out of a noisy party before police raided it. In early September, a photo was released on social media of her at a frat house party standing next to a marijuana bong. Prior to that Malia had made news all summer long for attending other parties. While the Democratic National Convention was going on, she was in Chicago at Lollapalooza and caught on video smoking a cigarette that was suspected to be marijuana.”

Like presidents before him, Obama is preparing to say farewell to his staff, the worker bees that made his life in Washington bearable. Undoubtedly, they will be missed greatly, for their service and roles played in Sasha and Malia’s lives.

“The people here have been extraordinary. We had a farewell dinner for some of my senior staff, and generally, everybody likes to talk about how cool I was. I had trouble getting through just a few remarks, because not only do you appreciate the sacrifices they’ve made and the hours they’ve kept and the soccer games they missed and the birthday parties.”

[Featured Image by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images]