Obama's Ryan Seacrest interview

During the interview, Obama revealed to Ryan Seacrest that Malia was a Sour Patch Kid and Sasha dressed as a turkey for Halloween.

(Image credit: Getty, CC BY: The White House)

last updated 8 January 2015

The story: In an apparent bid to motivate young voters on election day, President Obama took some time this morning to speak with "American Idol" host Ryan Seacrest on the latter's nationally-syndicated radio show. Obama spoke about the recession and the importance of voting and immigration — but also told Seacrest about his daughters' Halloween costumes and about his date nights with the First Lady.

The reaction: Seacrest sounded "bored with the sound of his own voice" until he got to the "Fun Stuff," says Emily Yahr at The Washington Post. The American Idol "grilled" the president on whether he turned off his BlackBerry during romantic evenings with Michelle, or if he was offended to be called "dude" by Jon Stewart. "Bulletin: Obama was not offended. Turns out, he's been called far worse." It certainly wasn't "the world's toughest interview," says Rick Porter at Zap2It.com. But it succeeded in its "primary goal" — giving the president a platform to speak to Seacrest's young audience. Listen to the entire 10-minute interview: