Former first lady Michelle Obama has confirmed she will not run for president, dispelling rumors of a last-minute candidacy. This decision quashes hopes among some Democrats for an alternative to Joe Biden.
Despite her absence from active politics in recent times, the former first lady commands a massive constituency within the Democratic Party due to her star power.
“As former First Lady Michelle Obama has expressed several times over the years, she will not be running for president,” Crystal Carson, director of communications for her office, told NBC News. “Mrs. Obama supports President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’ re-election campaign.”
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A recent Rasmussen survey reveals that almost half of Democrats favor replacing Joe Biden as their presidential nominee. Obama garners the highest support among potential alternatives at 20%, surpassing Vice President Kamala Harris at 15%.
Despite her repeated disinterest in seeking office, Obama’s recent concession of being “terrified” about the election outcome reignited speculation about her potential candidacy, according to Daily Mail.
“What’s going to happen in this next election? I’m terrified about what could possibly happen, because our leaders matter,” she said.
“Who we select, who speaks for us, who holds that bully pulpit, it affects us in ways sometimes I think people take for granted,” Obama told Jay Shetty on his podcast “On Purpose” in January.
Last year, Obama told Oprah she was disinterested in pursuing a political office. In a Netflix special last year, she observed that politics requires a deep-seated passion, which she does not possess.
Similarly, in a 2022 BBC interview, she expressed her dislike for questions probing a potential presidential run. However, NBC has reported that Obama was displeased when Jill Biden dismissed the idea of her being a running mate for Joe Biden during the 2020 campaign.
When asked by CNN about the possibility of Obama being a running mate, Jill Biden expressed admiration but hinted at Obama’s fatigue with politics.
“You know, I’d love it if Michelle would agree to it. But I — you know, I think she’s had it with politics. I don’t know. She’s so good at everything she does. That would — that would be wonderful.”
Sources reveal that Obama was displeased with this response and urged Biden to have a more open-ended answer ready for future inquiries regarding her potential involvement in politics.
Speculation regarding a replacement for Joe Biden intensified recently following a report by special counsel Robert Hur, which criticized Biden’s handling of classified documents, citing concerns about his age and memory lapses.
