Michelle Obama: ‘Don’t Waste My Time’ Asking Me to Run
Michelle Obama says she doesn’t believe the country is ready to elect a woman as president. Speaking earlier this month with actress Tracee Ellis Ross at the Brooklyn Academy of Music—a discussion later posted on her YouTube channel—the former first lady dismissed any speculation about her own political ambitions. “Don’t even look at me about running,” she said. “You all are lying. You are not ready for a woman. So don’t waste my time.”
Obama cited ongoing resistance from some men as a significant obstacle to seeing a woman in the Oval Office. “There are still, sadly, a lot of men who do not feel like they can be led by a woman. And we saw it,” she said, without pointing to a specific moment.
As The Washington Post notes, Obama campaigned for Kamala Harris during Harris’ race against President Trump last year, urging male voters at one event: “Fellas, before you cast your votes, ask yourselves: What side of history do you want to be on?”
Although her name frequently comes up as a potential presidential contender, Obama has consistently maintained that she has no interest in running. According to USA Today, however, a 2024 poll taken while Democrats debated whether to replace President Biden with Harris or another candidate suggested that respondents viewed Obama as the only figure who could defeat Trump.
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