Michelle Obama said Friday she will not run for president, arguing Americans “aren’t ready for a woman president” and suggesting many also weren’t ready for a Black First Lady. Citing Kamala Harris’s 2024 loss to Donald Trump, Obama said it showed the country’s lingering sexism: “We ain’t ready… You’re not ready for a woman.”
She added that many men still “do not feel like they can be led by a woman,” and that the nation has “a lot of growing up to do.”
Obama also revisited criticism she faced during her husband’s 2008 campaign and her time in the White House, saying even Democrats tried to portray her negatively when she became “effective.” She recalled being cast as “an angry shrew” and “unpatriotic,” and said she had to “quickly define” herself because she didn’t feel fully supported, even by campaign staff.
Her new book, The Look, explores her experiences with fashion and the scrutiny placed on women in politics. Although Obama says she faced intense criticism, she was frequently praised by mainstream media and appeared on the cover of Vogue three times. Breitbart News contrasts this with Melania Trump, a former supermodel often snubbed by major fashion magazines.