- The former first lady maintains star power within Democratic politics, despite largely stepping away from the political scene in recent years.
- “As former first lady Michelle Obama has expressed several times over the years, she will not run for president,” her office said.
Michelle Obama has ruled herself out as a presidential candidate, dashing speculation that she would intervene at the last minute to give Democrats an alternative to the aging Joe Biden.
The former first lady maintains star power within Democratic politics, despite having largely retreated from the political scene in recent years.
“As former first lady Michelle Obama has expressed several times over the years, she will not be running for president,” said Crystal Carson, communications director for her office. NBC News.
‘Lady. Obama supports the re-election campaign of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.’
Michelle Obama has ruled herself out as a presidential candidate, ending speculation that she would intervene at the last minute to give Democrats an alternative to the aging Joe Biden.
The former first lady maintains star power within Democratic politics, despite largely stepping away from the political scene in recent years.
“As former first lady Michelle Obama has expressed several times over the years, she will not be running for president,” Crystal Carson, communications director for her office, told NBC News.
A recent Rasmussen poll found that nearly 50 percent of Democrats support replacing Biden at the top of the ticket, and of those, more Democrats would like to see Michelle Obama, 20 percent, than Vice President Kamala Harris , 15 percent.
But the 60-year-old has said several times that she is not interested in running for office and has admitted she is “terrified” by the outcome of this year’s election.
‘What is going to happen in these next elections? I am terrified of what could happen, because our leaders are important. Who we select, who speaks for us, who fills that pulpit, affects us in ways that sometimes I think people take for granted,” Obama told Jay Shetty on his ‘On Purpose’ podcast in January.
Last year, Obama explained to Oprah why he wouldn’t run.
“Politics is difficult,” he said in a Netflix special. ‘And the people who get into this… have to want it. It has to be in your soul, because it is very important. It is not in my soul.’
In a 2022 BBC interview, he said he “detests” questions about his run for president.
But NBC reports that the former first lady was upset when Jill Biden ruled her out as her husband’s running mate in the 2020 election campaign.
When asked by CNN if Obama was an option, Jill Biden laughed and said, “You know, I would love for Michelle to agree.” But I… you know, I think she’s had enough of politics. I don’t know. She is very good at everything she does. That would be… that would be wonderful.
When asked by CNN if Obama was an option, Jill Biden laughed and said, “You know, I would love for Michelle to agree.” But I… you know, I think she’s had enough of politics. I don’t know. She is very good at everything she does. That would be… that would be wonderful.
Two sources said Obama was unhappy with that answer and wanted Biden to have a different one on hand that wouldn’t close that door if he was asked the question again.
Speculation about a replacement for Joe Biden reached a fever pitch last month when special counsel Robert Hur released a report on Biden’s mishandling of classified documents that called him “elderly” and “forgetful” and therefore , not suitable for the charges in the case.
