Michelle Obama addressed the calls for her potential candidacy in the 2024 presidential race on Tuesday.
In a statement provided to NBC News by her office, the former first lady’s stance was clear-cut: she has no interest in running.
“As former First Lady Michelle Obama has reiterated on numerous occasions, she has no intention of running for president,” stated Crystal Carson, the director of communications for Obama’s office.
“Mrs. Obama fully supports President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’ reelection campaign.”
A recent Rasmussen survey revealed that nearly 50 percent of Democrats favor replacing President Joe Biden as the party’s nominee, and among them, more Democrats expressed a preference for Michelle Obama, at 20 percent, over Vice President Kamala Harris, at 15 percent.
This isn’t the first instance where Michelle Obama has been the subject of speculation regarding her potential political aspirations.
Michelle Obama broke down into “uncontrollable sobbing” when Donald Trump became President. https://t.co/ThzEGjfNOM
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) March 8, 2023
As per Breitbart News, actor Mark Hamill took to Twitter in 2020 to suggest that the eventual Democratic presidential nominee should consider Michelle Obama as a potential vice presidential running mate.
“I hope whoever becomes the Democratic presidential nominee will consider @MichelleObama as their running mate. #DreamTeam2020,” he tweeted.
Hamill’s comments came after then-presidential hopeful Joe Biden expressed his interest in having Michelle Obama as his running mate.
In 2019, Michelle Obama made it clear that she had no intention of running for the White House, stating, “There’s zero chance” in an interview with The National, Amtrak’s travel and culture magazine.
“Just between us, and the readers of this magazine — there’s zero chance,” she stated. “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 declined then, and her stance remains unchanged.