Despite widespread speculation by critics — and wishful thinking from many Democrats — former first lady Michelle Obama announced on Super Tuesday that she has definitively ruled out running as the Democratic candidate for president in 2024.
Michelle was seen by many as a political superstar who could swoop in and rescue President Joe Biden’s struggling re-election campaign.
Her team repeated her claim that she has no intention whatsoever of joining the 2024 ticket, however.
This revelation is nothing short of earth-shattering for the substantial number of Democrats who were relying on the dream of an Obama candidacy saving them from former President Donald Trump, who is dominating Biden in head-to-head polls.
Nervously looking ahead to November, party insiders had been buzzing about the fantasy scenario of the beloved Michelle Obama replacing the elderly Biden at the top of the Democratic ticket as a last minute switch.
Even some Republican opponents had fixated on this notion, attempting to stoke fears about a politically formidable challenger swapping in at the last minute.
However, Obama’s office directly addressed the growing rumors on Tuesday and firmly shut down the speculation in a surprise statement to NBC News.
“As former First Lady Michelle Obama has expressed several times over the years, she will not be running for president,” her communications director bluntly stated.
Donors, activists, and Democratic voters had been openly whispering about recruiting the charismatic Michelle Obama. Her decision not to run is sure to be met with a sense of stunned deflation after so much buildup.
Instead of running herself, Michelle Obama insists she will only assist Biden’s re-election effort as she did in 2020.
The Horn editorial team