(Washington Examiner) Former first lady Michelle Obama confirmed that she will not try to return to the White House, putting the rumors that she could replace President Joe Biden as a presidential candidate to rest.
“As former first lady Michelle Obama has expressed several times over the years, she will not be running for president,” Crystal Carson, director of communications for Obama’s office, told the Washington Examiner on Tuesday. “Mrs. Obama supports President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’ re-election campaign.”
Rumors of her presidential bid had increased since special counsel Robert Hur released a report about an investigation into Biden’s mishandling of classified documents but said he would not be charged. Obama had become a popular rumored alternative among Democrats concerned about Biden’s age and mental capabilities, who speculated the former first lady could make her presidential debut this summer.
“I’ve never had the passion for politics,” she said prior to rumors of her running ahead of the 2020 election. “I just happened to be married to somebody who has the passion for politics, and he drug me kicking and screaming into the arena.”
Though she has been outspoken in recent years about her lack of interest in running for office, she did express concern about the 2024 presidential election in a podcast last month.
