Michelle Obama says the U.S. is 'not ready' for a woman president

Former first lady Michelle Obama said in a conversation published to her YouTube page Friday that the country is not ready for a woman president, adding that the U.S. has “a lot of growing up to do.”“As we saw in this past election, sadly, we ain’t ready,” Obama said.

Former first lady Michelle Obama said in a conversation published to her YouTube page Friday that the country is not ready for a woman president, adding that the U.S. has “a lot of growing up to do.”

“As we saw in this past election, sadly, we ain’t ready,” Obama said. “That’s why I’m like, don’t even look at me about running, because you all are lying. You’re not ready for a woman. You are not.”

President Donald Trump defeated former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.

Obama’s comment came during a Nov. 5 conversation at the Brooklyn Academy of Music for her podcast. The discussion was between the former first lady and actor Tracee Ellis Ross, during which they discussed Obama’s new book, “The Look.”

Ross had asked Obama if she felt that the first lady role, serving as an archetype for “wifedom and femininity,” had affected “the room that we’ve made for a woman to be president.”