Her office sought to shoot down speculation from both sides of the political spectrum in a statement sent to NBC News. Crystal Carson, communications director for the former first lady, said in the statement that “she will not be running for president” – adding that Michelle herself has expressed this refusal “several times over the years.”
Carson added that the former first lady “supports President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’ reelection campaign.” Inside sources appeared to attest this, adding that she intends to assist the Biden campaign this fall as she did in 2020.
Biden campaign spokesman Kevin Munoz meanwhile said in a separate statement that Michelle and her husband, former President Barack Obama, “were enormously helpful” in electing the incumbent president and vice president in 2020. “We are grateful to have their voice and their support in the fight for the fate of our democracy this November,” he continued. (Related: Report: Michelle Obama preparing to replace Biden for White House run against Trump.)
Michelle’s name emerged as a potential replacement for the 81-year-old Biden, most especially after Department of Justice Special Counsel Robert Hur released his report. The government prosecutor pointed out Biden’s cognitive decline in his report, prompting Democratic donors and others to suggest the former first lady as a replacement. Michelle even became a trending topic on X (formerly Twitter) in the wake of the report’s release.
The former first lady has downplayed suggestions for her to run as president in various interviews. During a January appearance on the “On Purpose” podcast, Michelle told host Jay Shetty that she is “terrified about what could possibly happen” in the upcoming election.
In a 2023 Netflix special with talk show host Oprah Winfrey, Michelle acknowledged the difficulty of politics and said it was “not in her soul.” She also told the BBC in a 2022 interview that she “detests” questions about potentially running for chief executive.
GOP puts forward the possibility of Michelle replacing Biden
“Republicans have for months alternatively warned and delighted in discussing the prospect of [a Michelle] Obama candidacy,” NBC News stated. It cited the February 2024 Conservative Political Action Conference that devoted an entire panel discussion to the possibility of her being “parachuted” in as the Democratic presidential nominee. The Democratic National Convention to be held in Chicago this year often serves as the event where the Democratic Party announces its nominee.
Jason Miller, senior campaign advisor to former President Donald Trump, said Michelle’s name comes up in discussions he has with his boss.
“Everyone sees what’s happening with Biden, but only a few Democrats will say it out loud,” Miller commented. “Behind the scenes, Democrats across the country are calling for Biden to be replaced – and of course, Trump is going to be asked for his opinion.”
But former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy raised the idea of Michelle running for president no less than 20 times during his campaign. He argued that even if Biden won the Democratic nomination, “there’s no way they [would] let [him] run.” Ramaswamy dropped out of the GOP presidential race after Trump’s win at the Iowa caucus.
“It’s going to be a new puppet – [California Gov.] Gavin Newsom, Michelle Obama, you name it,” he said. Incidentally, Ramaswamy earlier remarked that the former first lady has no say in the matter and that Democrats will push her to replace Biden – whether she likes it or not.
“I personally think it’s [going to] be Michelle Obama,” Ramaswamy told Newsmax‘s Benny Johnson during an appearance on “The Benny Show” podcast. “People say she doesn’t [want to] run, [but] she doesn’t have any choice in the matter, really.”
“The idea that her choice actually matters? It doesn’t matter. These people are puppets, they’re pawns. Most of them are coin-operated, either directly or indirectly.”
Head over to BarackObama.news for more stories about the former first lady.
Seeds collected from the Sycamore Gap tree after it was felled last year are beginning to spring into life.National Trust conservationists collected seeds and material from the 200-year-old tree after it was cut down in Northumberland National Park overnight between 27 and 28 September in what detectives called a "deliberate act of vandalism". In December, the team said there were "positive signs" new descendants could be grown from seeds and […]
Post comments (0)