Michelle Obama, the former first lady, has definitively dismissed the possibility of her running for the presidency, thereby quelling the conjecture that she might emerge as a last-minute alternative for the Democrats to the aging Joe Biden.
Despite her withdrawal from the political arena in recent years, Mrs. Obama continues to wield significant influence within Democratic circles.
"Mrs. Obama supports President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris' re-election campaign," Crystal Carson, the director of communications for her office, informed NBC News. She further clarified, "As former First Lady Michelle Obama has expressed several times over the years, she will not be running for president."
A recent Rasmussen survey revealed that nearly half of the Democrats would prefer to replace Biden at the top of the ticket. Among these, 20 percent favored Michelle Obama, surpassing the 15 percent who preferred Vice President Kamala Harris.
However, the 60-year-old former first lady has repeatedly stated her disinterest in running for office. She has also expressed her apprehension about the outcome of this year's election. During a podcast interview with Jay Shetty in January, she stated, "What's going to happen in this next election? I'm terrified about what could possibly happen, because our leaders matter. Who we select, who speaks for us, who holds that bully pulpit, it affects us in ways sometimes I think people take for granted."
In a 2022 BBC interview, Mrs. Obama expressed her distaste for questions about her potential presidential run. However, NBC reported that she was displeased when Jill Biden, the current first lady, dismissed her as a potential running mate for her husband during the 2020 campaign trail. When CNN asked whether Obama was a potential option, Jill Biden responded, "You know, I'd love it if Michelle would agree to it. But I you know, I think she's had it with politics. I don't know. She's so good at everything she does. That would that would be wonderful."
Two sources reported that Mrs. Obama was not satisfied with this response and wished for Biden to have a different answer prepared that would not completely shut the door on the possibility if the question were to arise again.
The speculation about a potential replacement for Joe Biden intensified last month following the release of a report by special counsel Robert Hur on Biden's mishandling of classified documents. The report described him as 'elderly' and 'forgetful,' thereby suggesting his unfitness for charges in the case.
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