All The Times Michelle Obama Has Shut Down Speculation She'll Run For President

Despite how long it's been since Michelle Obama exited the White House, America's heart still sighs with longing for her time there. The former first lady is one of the few politicians both adored by the left and respected by the right. And try as they may, even MAGA fans have little to no dirt on Michelle beyond a few widely debunked Obama family rumors. It's not really surprising that many are convinced that she should be president. America's fixation on this idea was pretty evident after Joe Biden stepped down from the 2024 presidential elections. Although he endorsed Kamala Harris, X, formerly known as Twitter, was rife with posts begging for Michelle to take his place. 

When it became obvious that Harris would be the presumed nominee, the endorsements had everyone saying the same thing: "Could Michelle Obama be VP?" Despite her undeniably large fanbase, this is very unlikely to happen, as the "Becoming" author has repeatedly shut down any speculation that she'll run for office someday. And though Michelle is frequently met with half-questioning and half-suggesting inquiries regardless, she always firmly but politely turns them all down. Her reasoning? As she admitted in 2018, "My sense is that, first of all, you have to want the job," (via Today).

The public's interest in seeing Michelle Obama in the Oval Office, naturally, dates back to her time as the first lady. During a 2014 interview with ABC, correspondent Robin Roberts asked Obama out straight if she would run for president after her husband's second term elapsed. The former attorney quickly confirmed that she had absolutely no intention of doing so (via NBC News). Although Obama acknowledged that she was eager for America to have its first female president, she clarified that she had no interest in taking up the mantle herself.

This might be why Michelle Obama supported Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election. Although she was arguably better with people and crowds than Clinton, Obama never launched a campaign. The BBC even referred to the former first lady as Clinton's "biggest asset" on the trail. Eventually, though, she lost the election to Donald Trump.

During the penultimate year of Barack Obama's presidential tenure, Michelle Obama was invited to the South by Southwest festival in Texas, where she was once again questioned about her presumed presidential ambitions. She responded with a firm: "I will not run for president. No, nope, not going to do it," followed by a detailed list of reasons. Among other things, Michelle pointed to her children, Malia and Sasha Obama, who were 16 and 13 at the time, as a major contributing factor, pointing out, "They handled [the presidency] with grace and with poise, but enough is enough," (via CNN).

Considering how having a childhood in the White House affected Malia and Sasha Obama, Michelle's stance is understandable. The former first lady has been vocal about how tough it was to normalize their childhood, so it's no surprise that she wants her daughters to enjoy a normal adolescence outside of the public eye, which won't happen if she runs. The bestselling author also told the audience at the festival that she wanted to serve the public without getting embroiled in any controversy. It sounds like the former FLOTUS is a little traumatized by the cruelty of American politics, and honestly, we don't blame her.

One year into her political retirement, Michelle Obama was still dealing with rampant speculation that she might run for president. During that year's 39th annual Simmons Leadership Conference, she reiterated her disinterest in the position. "And you just can't say, 'Well you're a woman, run. We just can't find the women we like and ask them to do it, because there are millions of women who are inclined and do have the passion for politics," the former first lady added (via Today). Moreover, Michelle also said that she had to let Barack Obama run for president because it was his passion.

She went on to argue that her brains and ability to deliver great speeches don't necessarily mean she should be in power, noting, "That's not how we should pick the president." Michelle even shaded our limited and myopic methods of electing a commander-in-chief and, by extension, Donald Trump. One thing is for certain: If Michelle ever changes her mind, her opponents will have a field day with this response.

During the quickfire segment of her November 2022 interview on the BBC, Michelle Obama confessed that she hates both being asked if she's going to run for president someday and constantly having to restate her unchanging position. The bestselling author expressed a similar sentiment in an April 2023 interview with Oprah Winfrey for a Netflix special. This time, her response was kind of sad. After stating, once again, that she had no interest in politics, Obama wondered aloud, "Does what I want have anything to do with anything? Does who I choose to be have anything to do with it?" (via Rolling Stone). 

The former first lady went on to proclaim that if she ran for president, she would make political enemies of many Americans, even though she genuinely only wants to help them, noting, "In fact, I think I'm actually more effective outside of politics, because sadly, politics has become so divided. The minute you declare a party, you've alienated the other half of the country." The outspoken commentator added that she would continue to serve the public without partisan politics so she could help Democrats and Republicans alike. This might be why Obama has focused on non-political ventures since leaving the White House.

In March 2024, there were rumors swirling that Joe Biden would drop out and Michelle Obama would step up. Despite the clear opportunity, her response remained the same: "No, thank you." To dispel any remaining notions, Obama released a statement through her director of communications: "As former First Lady Michelle Obama has expressed several times over the years, she will not be running for president," (per NBC News).

Still, in July, when she did better than Biden on a hypothetical public poll, the whispers of another Obama presidency were reheated. Peter Slevin, who wrote a bestselling book about the former lawyer, commented on the situation: "It is as unlikely as it could possibly be. [...] She has said over and over again, this is not her world. She's not going to do it," (via NewsNation). We've heard you loud and clear. Now, if only America would listen.