BARACK & MICHELLE'S DINNER DATE FROM HELL

Showy public appearance can't conceal marital strife

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WITH divorce rumors reaching fever pitch, former first couple Barack and Michelle Obama stepped out for a dinner date — but sources say it did little to quiet the din!

The ex-prez and his wife of 32 years caused a stir when they strolled into Italian hotspot Osteria Mozza in Washington, D.C., in mid-April, their first public outing since January.

Diners at the upscale eatery erupted into applause as they watched the Obamas make their way through the restaurant to a private dining room upstairs.

But once there, a source says the date turned dour.

"They barely even talked during dinner," spills the insider. "A knife couldn't have cut through the tension between them."