OAN Staff James Meyers
10:42 AM – Friday, March 21, 2025

Barack Obama’s wife Michelle has said being a mom has made her not want to pursue politics. 

The former first lady told podcaster Kylie Kelce that her daughters are her top priority now during an episode of the “Not Gonna Lie” podcast.

“I was so glad when we got out of the White House,” she said on the “Not Gonna Lie” podcast released Thursday.

“I wanted them to have the freedom of not having the eyes of the world on them,” she said of daughters Malia Obama, 26, and Sasha Obama, 23. “They still are dealing with paparazzi and being who they are and trying to, you know, carve out their own identity but they got a lot of practice in those years in the White House.”

Despite the rumors of being a possible Democrat presidential candidate, Michelle doubled down on having zero interest in running for office. 

“When people ask me, would I ever run, the answer is no,” she told Kelce before adding that people who suggest her for public office “have absolutely no idea the sacrifice that your kids make when your parents are in that role.”

During the podcast, the former first lady emphasized her daughters as being the reason why the idea would not become a reality. 

“Not only am I not interested in politics in that way but the thought of, like, putting my girls back into that spotlight when they are just now establishing themselves,” she said. “It’s like, OK, I think we’ve done enough.”

“They’ve already served their time,” she added. “It would be unthinkable.”

“I wanted them to have the freedom of not having the eyes of the world on them,” she said of her girls. 

“They still are dealing with paparazzi and being who they are and trying to carve out their own identity.”

During the middle of 2024, a Reuters/Ispos poll showed Michelle was the only Democrat with a lead on Trump in a hypothetical head-to-head matchup, receiving 50% support to his 39%. 

When they were in the White House, her daughters were teenagers and said she wanted to make sure the girls turned out “normal.” One example she discussed was letting the girls drive after they got their licenses.

The former first lady generated headlines when she did not accompany her husband to former President Jimmy Carter’s funeral and President Donald Trump’s inauguration, which were both in January.

Stay informed! Receive breaking news blasts directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. https://www.oann.com/alerts