Obamas discuss 'the hug' with Barbara Walters

"The hug" -- the now-famous picture of President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama tweeted out on Election Night -- has a simple back story, says the first couple.

When Barbara Walters of ABC News asked the president "why were you hugging her so hard in Iowa?" Obama responded: "Because I love my wife."

The Obama campaign sent out the picture right after the president clinched his re-election win over Mitt Romney; it quickly became the most retweeted post of all time.

The snap shows the Obamas hugging during a campaign event in Dubuque, Iowa, on Aug. 15.

Michelle Obama also gave Walters a simple explanation for the hug: She hadn't seen her husband in a while.

"The first time I saw him was when I walked on stage to greet him," Mrs. Obama said. "And that's my honey giving me a hug."