Former first lady Michelle Obama is pouring cold water on calls for her to run for president, saying she believes there are other ways for her to help the country.
“Just between us, and the readers of this magazine — there’s zero chance,” Obama said in an interview with The National, Amtrak’s travel and culture magazine, that was published Friday.
{mosads}“There are so many ways to improve this country and build a better world, and I keep doing plenty of them, from working with young people to helping families lead healthier lives. But sitting behind the desk in the Oval Office will never be one of them. It’s just not for me.”
Obama, who has been lionized by the Democratic base even after her eight years as first lady, saw her popularity skyrocket further after the release of her best-selling memoir, “Becoming.”
She has repeatedly made it clear she has no interest in running for the White House, however, despite repeated calls or suggestions for her to do so.
“Everybody watching this right now knows she is a beloved American and she would go in there and she would beat him,” filmmaker Michael Moore said Thursday when asked who he thought could unseat President Trump.
“She would beat him in the debates, he wouldn’t be able to bully her, he wouldn’t be able to nickname her,” he added. “She takes the stage and she’s so powerful and so good you just look at that and think of course she could win.”
The former first lady is the most admired woman in the world, according to a July YouGov poll, besting Oprah Winfrey, Angelina Jolie and Queen Elizabeth II.
The Obamas are expected to refrain from endorsing a candidate in the sprawling Democratic presidential primary field until one is officially nominated by the party.