Michelle Obama Says America ‘Not Ready’ for Female President

By Micheal Chukwuebuka

Former US First Lady Michelle Obama has said that America is still not prepared to elect a woman to the Oval Office, arguing that many men across the country are unwilling to be led by a female president.

Obama, who supported former Vice-President Kamala Harris in her unsuccessful 2024 presidential bid against Donald Trump, made the remarks while promoting her new book The Look at an event held at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

“As we saw in the past election, sadly, we ain’t ready,” the 61-year-old told actor Tracee Ellis Ross, who moderated the conversation. The event was uploaded to Obama’s YouTube page over the weekend.

“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,” she added.

Obama has long faced speculation and calls to run for president, but she has consistently maintained that she has no interest in seeking public office.

When Ross asked whether her years in the White House had helped pave the way for a woman to become president, Obama responded that many men in the US remain resistant to female leadership.

“You know, we’ve got a lot of growing up to do, and there are still, sadly, a lot of men who do not feel they can be led by a woman — and we saw it,” she said.

The former First Lady, who was at the White House from 2009 to 2017 during her husband Barack Obama’s presidency, urged voters last year to back Harris, warning that Trump posed a threat to the country.