The office of former First Lady Michelle Obama announced this week that she would not seek the White House this November. The statement came after months of speculation that the wife of former President Barack Obama could replace President Joe Biden on the ballot amid concerns about his poll numbers and age.
“As former First Lady Michelle Obama has expressed several times over the years, she will not be running for president,” said a spokesperson from her office earlier this week.
This is not the first time that the former First Lady rejected calls to call for president. In 2019 she said that there was “zero chance” she would seek the White House.
“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,” she said at the time.
Let's just accept the fact Donald Trump is going to be the nominee. Now that Michelle Obama is out of the picture, it's most likely going to be Trump vs. Biden. A 3rd party candidate could make some noise and play the spoiler, but they won't win.
This really is Trump vs.… pic.twitter.com/zxmUP14PuP
— Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii) March 5, 2024
The speculation surrounding the former First Lady came as a number of Democrats expressed concern over whether or not Biden could win a second term. Michelle Obama represented a high-profile Democrat with significant name recognition.
Even though the former president’s wife has not served in public office or run for an election, she has been in the public spotlight for nearly 20 years.
The announcement that Michelle Obama would not run for the White House leaves Democrats with few potential options should Biden drop out of the race later this year. California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has attempted to build a national profile but has also been beset with criticism about the high cost of living and increasing crime rate in the Golden State.
Several pieces of news analysis have also cast doubt on whether or not Vice President Kamala Harris could effectively run a campaign for president. The former 2020 presidential candidate and former Senator has among the lowest favorability ratings of any major politician of either party.
