Michelle Obama made it clear she will never run for president, shutting down speculation in a conversation with Kylie Kelce on the Not Gonna Lie podcast. “It’s never gonna happen,” she said, citing her daughters, Malia and Sasha, as the main reason.
“I was so glad when we got out of the White House,” Obama admitted. She expressed concern over the toll public life had already taken on her daughters, who were just nine and seven when Barack Obama took office. “I wanted them to have the freedom of not having the eyes of the world on them,” she said. “They still are dealing with paparazzi and being who they are and trying to carve out their own identity.”
Because of that, she said she would never run. “If you ask me that, then you have absolutely no idea the sacrifice that your kids make when your parents are in that role.”
Despite her popularity, she has no interest in politics. “Not only am I not interested in politics in that way, but the thought of putting my girls back into that spotlight when they are just now establishing themselves—we’ve done enough.” She was firm that the decision was final: “They’ve already served their time… It would be unthinkable. Nope.”
Obama remains a major presence in Democratic campaigns, having supported Kamala Harris, Hillary Clinton, and several Senate candidates. She appeared on Kelce’s show to promote her new podcast, IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson.
She also joked about her marriage, revealing she and Barack once disagreed on having another child. “He wanted one, and I didn’t,” she said.
Recently, rumors have swirled about trouble in their marriage. Michelle skipped several major events, including Jimmy Carter’s state funeral and Donald Trump’s January inauguration, fueling speculation.
