Michelle Obama said Americans are not ready for a female president and urged people not to expect her to run for office.
Former First Lady Michelle Obama has said Americans are not ready for a woman president and warned that people should not expect her to run for the nation’s highest office, according to USA TODAY. The discussion was part of an event promoting her new book, The Look.
“As we saw in this past election, sadly, we ain’t ready. That’s why I’m like, don’t even look at me about running, because you all are lying. You’re not ready for a woman. You are not,” Obama said. She added, “So don’t waste my time. We got a lot of growing up to do, and there are still, sadly, a lot of men who feel like they cannot be led by a woman, and we saw it. I think we still have growing to do in that regard.”
Despite being highly popular during her husband Barack Obama’s presidency and seen in polls as a potential candidate who could defeat Donald Trump, the former first lady has consistently stated she has no interest in running.
Her remarks come in the context of recent history, where two of the last three Democratic presidential nominees, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Vice President Kamala Harris were women, both of whom ultimately lost to Trump. Obama’s comments highlight ongoing challenges regarding gender bias in U.S. politics.