Michelle Obama takes swipe at Trump's demolition of White House East Wing

Reflecting on her time in the White House with another former resident, NBC's Jenna Bush Hager, Obama joked about the changes to the historic building.

"There's barely a staff. Now we don't have a building," she said, referencing the uproar over the East Wing construction.

Obama lived in the White House for eight years with her family. The East Wing formerly housed the first lady's office and staff.

Obama, who was the first Black woman to become first lady, also said she felt her family was criticized more than other first families. 

"The light was a little bit brighter because politics created an otherness. There were some people who tried to paint everything we did as a sign that we weren't ready, that we weren't suited, that we weren't American enough," Obama said. 

"And I don't think that other families dealt with that kind of criticism. But as you know, the first lady, it's a strange job," she said.

Photos of the construction sparked outrage online. The Trump administration has defended the demolition.

"Unhinged leftists and their Fake News allies are clutching their pearls over President Donald J. Trump's visionary addition of a grand, privately funded ballroom," the White House said in a statement, calling the project a "bold, necessary addition."