Michelle Obama Says Americans Are ‘Lying’ About Wanting Her to Be President: ‘Don’t Waste My Time’

Michelle Obama doesn’t think the United States is ready for her — or any woman — to be president.

Supporters of the former first lady, 61, have long hoped she would launch a presidential campaign, both before and after she and Barack Obama left the White House for a final time in 2017.

Social media posts and signs held up during the recent “No Kings” protests pleaded for the launch of a “Michelle 2028” campaign, but she is not on board with the idea.

During a live chat about her new book, The Look, with Tracee Ellis Ross at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) on Nov. 5, Michelle said she believes the U.S. “ain’t ready” for a woman in the White House, including herself.

“Well, as we saw in this past election, sadly, we ain’t ready,” said the former first lady, referring to Donald Trump’s victory over Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.

“That’s why I’m like, ‘Don’t even look at me about running, ‘cause you all are lying,’ ” added Michelle, before reiterating, “You’re not ready for a woman. You are not. So don’t waste my time.”

Elaborating further as the BAM audience broke out into applause, the author said: “We got a lot of growing up to do, and there are still, sadly, a lot of men who do not feel like they can be led by a woman, and we saw it.”

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Though supporters continue to cling to the hope she may change her mind, Michelle has consistently shut down calls for her to launch a presidential bid — or any other career in politics — since at least 2012.

While appearing on Today in celebration of the International Day of the Girl in 2018, anchor Savannah Guthrie asked if the former first lady was interested in pursuing a career in politics, to which she replied: “Absolutely not.”

“I’ve never wanted to be a politician,” Michelle continued at the time. “Nothing has changed in me. I want to serve. … There are so many ways to make an impact. Politics is not my thing. It’s as simple as that.”

She also dismissed the idea years earlier, before she and Barack, 64, left the White House.

During a South by Southwest panel moderated by Queen Latifah in 2016, Michelle explicitly stated that she “will not run for president,” citing then-teenage daughters, Sasha, 24, and Malia, 27, as one reason.

A subsequent round of highly praised speeches condemning then-GOP nominee Trump, 79, fueled new speculation that Michelle may have changed her mind, but her aversion to politics remained steadfast.

In October 2016, Barack backed up his wife’s previous statements during a radio interview.

“[Michelle] will never run for office,” he said while calling into SiriusXM’s Sway in the Morning in October 2016. “She is as talented and brilliant a person as there is, and I could not be prouder of her, but Michelle does not have the patience or the inclination to actually be a candidate herself.

“That’s one thing y’all can take to the bank,” added Barack.

These days, Michelle is busy with various projects, like penning The Look with her longtime stylist Meredith Koop, and co-hosting the podcast IMO.

The former first lady told PEOPLE in a recent cover story that she is “as vibrant as I’ve ever been.”

“My kids are grown and launched, they are healthy and happy. My husband is doing just fine. We are the former president and first lady, and so I feel like this is the first time in my life that when I say and do something, here in this interview, writing this book, these are my choices,” she said. “That is freeing.”