Former First Lady Michelle Obama has never run for president, has not ever expressed interest in running for president, and has always denied that she ever will run for president.
But that hasn’t stopped virtually nonstop speculation about such a run, either from Democrats hoping she would step into presidential politics or from Republicans expressing conspiracy theories that she would. For much of the 2024 presidential race, GOP speculation pointed to a secret plan in which President Biden would drop his reelection bid at the last minute, only for Michelle Obama to step into his place (the theory, it turned out, was half right.)
.@MichelleObama is not gonna lie: bedtime is the best time of the day!
Full episode drops on 3/20! pic.twitter.com/vznStVndQi
— Not Gonna Lie with Kylie Kelce (@nglwithkylie) March 19, 2025
The former First Lady, who is now hosting a podcast of her own along with her brother Craig, addressed the speculation this week on a different podcast hosted by Kylie Kelce. The host specifically asked her whether she would consider her own presidential bid, and she specifically answered no. The reason is her daughters.
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“I wanted them to have the freedom of not having the eyes of the world on them,” she said of her daughters. “And so when people ask me would I ever run, the answer is no… If you ask me that, then you have absolutely no idea the sacrifice that your kids make when your parents are in that role.”
“The thought of, like, putting my girls back into that spotlight when they are just now establishing themselves. I think we’ve done enough … they’ve already served their time,” the former First Lady added.
The former first lady and the podcast host, who is married to former NFL star and fellow podcaster Jason Kelce, also bonded over their tall height, as both are 5’11.
Kylie also praised Michelle’s “Let’s Move” healthy habits initiative during her husband’s presidency.
Kylie talks about the impact of @MichelleObama‘s work to promote healthy eating and movement for kids.
Full episode is out now on all platforms! @imopodcasts pic.twitter.com/Nvtx9XsXFU
— Not Gonna Lie with Kylie Kelce (@nglwithkylie) March 20, 2025
In a New York Times interview last December, Kylie stated, “I would talk to Michelle Obama in a heartbeat” and shared that her politics “aggressively lean” left.
In the interview, Michelle did not address recent rumors that she and the former president were divorcing. However, she referred to him in the present tense throughout the interview as her husband.
Photo courtesy of YouTube screengrab
