Michelle Obama revealed the real reason she won’t answer the Democrats‘ call to run for president, saying bluntly it’s ‘never gonna happen.’
The former first lady had a candid conversation on her feelings about politics when she sat down with Kylie Kelce on the March 20 episode of Kelce’s Not Gonna Lie podcast.
She made it clear that, even though Democrats have approached her numerous times about running for president, she would never consider it, because of the affect it would have on daughters Malia and Sasha.
‘I was so glad when we got out of the White House,’ she told Kelce.
Obama said she worried about the affect of growing up in such a public environment would have on daughters Malia, 26, and Sasha, 23.
The girls were nine and seven when Barack Obama became the 44th President of the United States in January 2009.
‘I wanted them to have the freedom of not having the eyes of the world on them,’ she said of her girls.
‘They still are dealing with paparazzi and being who they are and trying to carve out their own identity.’
Because of that, she said, she would never be a candidate for political office.
‘So when people ask me would I ever run, the answer is no. If you ask me that, then you have absolutely no idea the sacrifice that your kids make when your parents are in that role.’
Democrats have long dreamed of having Michelle Obama top their presidential ticket due to her enormous popularity throughout the country. She’s floated as a potential candidate every four years.
And, in the summer of the 2024 election, a Reuters/Ispos poll found Obama was the only Democrat with a lead on Trump in a hypothetical match-up, garnering 50 percent support to his 39 percent.
But the former first lady – who campaigned for Kamala Harris last year – was clear she had no interest in pursuing the office herself.
She added: ‘Not only am I not interested in politics in that way but the thought of putting my girls back into that spotlight when they are just now establishing themselves — we’ve done enough.’
And her decision is final.
The ‘question [has been] asked and answered’ and is ‘never gonna happen,’ she said.
She said of her daughters: ‘They’ve already served their time. … It would be unthinkable. Nope.’
The former first lady remains a popular surrogate on the campaign trail. In addition for Harris last year, Obama campaigned for Hillary Clinton in 2016, has helped numerous Democratic Senate candidates and is a regular speaker at the Democratic National Convention.
Malia and Sasha currently live in Los Angeles. Malia works in the film industry.
Michelle Obama appeared on Kelce’s show to promote her new podcast with her brother: IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson.
The former first lady also made jokes about her marriage with Barack Obama, saying the couple differed on whether to have another child: he wanted one and she didn’t.
The Obamas have been fighting off rumors of an impending divorce.
Speculation that they were having problems arose after fans noticed Michelle was not with her husband at numerous events.
The former president was notably alone at Jimmy Carter’s state funeral in December 2024 and Donald Trump’s January inauguration, where Michelle broke tradition by declining to attend.
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