‘Absolutely not’: 10 times Michelle Obama made it clear she won’t run for president

Michelle Obama for President: 10 instances former FLOTUS declared she would never run for office

Former First Lady Michelle Obama has once again become prey to speculations on a White House race after Democrats heightened calls for President Joe Biden to suspend his reelection bid. However, Obama, who gained firsthand insight into the presidency during her eight years in the White House alongside her husband, Barack Obama, has frequently stated her lack of desire for the role. Recently, she even became a frontrunner in a poll as a potential candidate to defeat Donald Trump if Biden was replaced. Here are 10 instances where the ex-First Lady made it clear she was not interested in running for POTUS.

1. April 2023: Michelle Obama tells Oprah Winfrey about her disinterest in politics

In her Netflix special 'The Light We Carry,' with Oprah Winfrey, Obama shunned all speculations about her entry into politics. In the nearly one-and-a-half-hour show, Winfrey asked the former First Lady whether she would ever run for President. "I've never expressed any interest in politics. Ever," Michelle responded. Adding she agreed to support her husband when he wanted to run for office, the ex-FLOTUS said, "At no point have I ever said, 'I think I want to run.' Ever. So, I'm just wondering: Does what I want have anything to do with anything? Does who I choose to be have anything to do with it?"

2. November 2022: Michelle Obama says she hates questions about her likely presidential race

In a November 2022 interview on BBC, Obama said to host Naga Munchetty, "Are you going to run for president?" was the most hated question she always faced. She once again killed all possibilities, stating, "No. I'm not going to run."

3. March 2019: Michelle Obama puts a full stop to her likely 2020 race

More than a year before the infamous 2020 election, Obama rejected any idea of her name being part of the ballot. Appearing in an episode on Conan O'Brien's podcast in March 2019, the former FLOTUS said spending eight years in the White House had been sufficient. She responded with a resolute no when asked whether her name would be in the 2020 mix. "Sadly, in our country when you put an R or a D on you, immediately alienate most of the country with whatever choice you make," Obama continued, turning the focus to the significance of voting.

4. November 2018: Michelle Obama quashes assumptions in her memoir

Apparently, tired of the never-ending questions about her possibility of running for the White House, Obama immortalized her answer in ink by plainly declaring her decision in the 2018 memoir 'Becoming.' "I'll say it here directly: I have no intention of running for office, ever," she wrote.

5. April 2018: Michelle Obama says she has no 'passion for politics'

Speaking at a women's forum in Boston, Massachusetts, in April 2018, Obama criticized the notion that she should run for president because of her womanhood. "We just can't find the women we like and ask them to do it because there are millions of women who are inclined and do have the passion for politics," she stated, adding unlike her husband, she never had the passion for politics. Moreover, Obama also said her husband "dragged me kicking and screaming into this arena".

6. April 2017: Michelle Obama does not want her children to go through it again

A few months into her exit as FLOTUS, Obama disclosed at a Q&A session in Orlando, Florida, that she would not run for office for the sake of her children because she did not want to subject her daughters to one more brutal political campaign. "I'm not coy," Obama said. "I've proven that. I'm pretty direct. If I were interested in it, I would say it. I don't believe in playing games."

7. March 2016: Michelle Obama emphasizes her focus beyond the White House

Speaking at a South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, during her final months in the White House, she doubled down on her stance regarding a likely presidential race. Repeating that she would not run for office, the then-FLOTUS said there was so much she could do outside the White House. "And sometimes there's much more that you can do outside of the White House, without the constraints and the lights and the cameras and the partisanship."

8. June 2014: Michelle Obama asserts 'definitely not' running for president

Obama discredited any chance of her vying for the presidency during an interview with ABC's Robin Roberts in June 2014. Reiterating her adamant wish to stay away from politics, she stated she was "definitely not" eyeing the position after her husband leaves the White House. The then-First Lady noted she would pursue something "service-focused" instead.

9. September 2012: Michelle Obama says she is 'not patient' enough to be president

The ex-FLOTUS appeared along with her husband, then-President Barack Obama, on 'The View' in September 2012. The 44th President quipped that his wife might lack the temperament required for the presidency. She soon jumped in, stating, "It takes a lot of patience to be President of the United States. I'm not that patient."

10. April 2012: Michelle Obama says 'absolutely not' to a child's question about her plans to run for office

In April 2012, Obama denied any plans to be in the Oval Office during the White House event Take Your Daughters and Sons to Work Day. A child questioned the then-FLOTUS whether she would ever run for president. "Absolutely not," Obama replied. "I think that once his terms are over, we'll go on to do other important things because there are so many ways you can help this country and the world, even if you're not President of the United States," she continued, adding that for her, other important things meant "not being the president".