Ms Obama interviewed her husband, former President of the United States, for the first episode of The Michelle Obama Podcast released on Spotify on Wednesday. The podcast is a partnership between the pair’s production company, Higher Ground, and Spotify.

During the 48-minute discussion, Mr Obama admitted that often young people only notice the government’s mistakes.

In what seemed to be a swipe at the current president, Mr Obama said: “So we’re getting a good lesson in that right now.”

Ms Obama added: “Exactly. If people are paying attention and they understand what’s missing.

“Not having a public health system that takes care of people whether you are working or not, that takes care of you whether you have preexisting conditions or not.

“Unemployment, Social Security ― all of the things that sort of keep people going when the chosen path doesn’t work.”

The former president said young people have become weary of government and now funnel their idealism “outside of governmental structures and outside of politics.”

He said: “The problem is ― again we’re getting a pretty good lesson in that right now ― there are just some things we can’t do by ourselves, or even groups of us can’t do by ourselves.”

He described the coronavirus crisis as an example of something that relies on citizen co-operation.

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“Because, as you pointed out as a former president who reads and knows history ― let’s just take a moment to pause and think about that ― but as that person, you understand the arc of progress.

“We are moving toward more inclusivity, more openness, more we-ness, it’s not an easy trajectory, it is bumpy and it is uncomfortable, and that’s how change happens.”

The first episode of Ms Obama’s podcast comes after the former President criticised Mr Trump’s response to the health crisis in a new video for Joe Biden’s campaign.

The video ― a teaser for a longer discussion between Mr Obama and Mr Biden set for release later this week ― refers to Mr Trump’s statement earlier this year that he is not to blame for his administration’s inability to secure appropriate testing and supplies for the coronavirus crisis earlier in the pandemic.