 "President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama wait at North Portico of the White House to greet Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and his wife Agnese Landini, for a State Dinner, October 18, 2016. AP")
Former US first lady Michelle Obama said America is “not ready” for a woman president, arguing the country still has “a lot of growing up to do.”
“As we saw in this past election, sadly, we ain’t ready,” she said. “That’s why I’m like, don’t even look at me about running, because you all are lying. You’re not ready for a woman. You are not.”
Comments made during Brooklyn conversation
Her remarks came during a Nov. 5 conversation at the Brooklyn Academy of Music with actor Tracee Ellis Ross, posted Friday on her YouTube page. The two discussed Obama’s new book, The Look, and the role of first lady. Ross asked whether expectations around “wifedom and femininity” had shaped how Americans view a woman president.
President Donald Trump defeated former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election.
“You know, we got a lot of growing up to do, and there’s still, sadly, a lot of men who do not feel like they can be led by a woman, and we saw it,” Obama added.
Campaigning for Harris in 2024
Obama campaigned for Harris in 2024, drawing large crowds and speaking about women’s health care while urging men to support the Democratic candidate.
Despite recurring speculation about her political future, Obama has consistently rejected the idea of running for president.
Reiterates long-standing refusal to run
Former first lady Michelle Obama has repeated similar comments before. “I will not run for president. No, nope, not going to do it,” she said back in 2016 while still first lady.
Her conversation with Ellis Ross in Brooklyn also touched on her approach to fashion and politics during her time in the White House.
Warning against a second Trump presidency
Obama also campaigned forcefully against Trump ahead of the 2024 election.
“Please, please do not hand our fates over to the likes of Trump, who knows nothing about us, who has shown deep contempt for us,” she said at a Michigan rally days before the vote. “Because a vote for him is a vote against us, against our health, against our worth.”
At the same rally, she asked: “By every measure, (Harris) has demonstrated that she’s ready. … The real question is, as a country, are we ready for this moment?”