Washington DC - Barack and Michelle Obama have already hinted several times that their time in office put a strain on their relationship. Now, the former president is shedding light on what happened.

"I was in a deep deficit with my wife," Barack Obama (63) said in a conversation with the head of Hamilton College on Thursday, The Daily Beast reported.

"So I have been trying to dig myself out of that hole by doing occasionally fun things," the Democrat added.

Michelle has spoken candidly about this deficit in the past. In 2022, the former first lady (61) admitted she "couldn't stand" her husband for about a decade as she juggled her work and their children amid his political career.

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"There are times I'm 70, he's 30." she said at the time, per People.

"There are times he's 60, 40, but guess what? 10 years – we've been married 30. I would take 10 bad years over 30 – it's just how you look at it. And people give up... 'Five years; I can't take it.'"

The Obamas tied the knot in 1992 and have now been married for 32 years. Still, they have faced some recent separation chatter after Barack attended several high-profile events solo – including the funeral of former President Jimmy Carter and the inauguration of President Donald Trump.

But the two appear to be going strong despite the naysayers, as Barack shared a sweet Valentine's Day tribute earlier this year that read, "Thirty-two years together and you still take my breath away."