Michelle Obama reiterated this week that she’s not going to be launching a surprise bid for president and isn’t in any way trying to return to the White House.
In a statement issued by her office ahead of voting in the Super Tuesday elections, director of communications Crystal Carson said:
“As former first Lady Michelle Obama has expressed several times over the years, she will not be running for president. … [Obama] supports President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’ re-election campaign.”
There have been murmurs that Obama could seek a run to the White House for quite a while now, though she’s consistently shot down that talk. And even as Super Tuesday drew closer, there were still whispers that could happen.
Recently, a few notable Republicans got in the act, saying that it was possible Obama could ultimately replace Biden on November’s ballot. That sentiment was pushed by former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, Texas Senator Ted Cruz and Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene.
They didn’t provide any reason for their belief that Obama would run.
Many voters are concerned about Biden’s advanced age — he’s already the oldest president to serve in the White House. The Democratic Party as a whole is also concerned about his low approval ratings and his low polling numbers for an incumbent.
That has led many people to prophesy a presidential run for Obama, who was wildly popular as a first Lady and still retains much of that popularity. She’s more than 20 years younger than Biden, and though she doesn’t have any direct political experience, Trump didn’t have any either before he won the White House in 2016.
Last month, a poll conducted by Rasmussen Reports revealed that Obama was the top selection among Democratic voters about who should replace Biden on the 2024 presidential ticket.
Many liberal commentators have also said they believe Obama is the “best chance” that Democrats have to remain in power in the White House against Trump come November.
For her part, Obama said earlier in the year she was “terrified about what could possibly happen” in the election come November, leading many to believe she was hinting that she’d throw her hat in the ring to try to do something about it.
All that being said, Obama has consistently stuck to saying that she would not be seeking the White House. In fact, way back in 2019 — before Biden was even elected the first time — she said there was “zero chance” she’d run.
At the time, she said:
“There are so many ways to improve this country and build a better world, and I keep doing plenty of them, from working with young people to helping families lead healthier lives.
“But, sitting behind the desk in the Oval Office will never be one of them. It’s just not for me.”
In 2018, Obama founded the organization When We All Vote, which is focused on voter registration and engagement.
