The United States is still not prepared to elect a woman president, former First Lady Michelle Obama has said.
“Don't even look at me about running, because you all are lying,” she said during a conversation with Tracee Ellis Ross. “You're not ready for a woman. So don't waste my time. We got a lot of growing up to do.”
Michelle Obama argued that the country has not yet created enough space for women to reach the highest office.
“As we saw in this past election, sadly, we ain't ready…and there's still a lot of men who do not feel like they can be led by a woman and we saw it."
Her remarks follow the unsuccessful presidential bids of former vice president Kamala Harris and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton.
Harris became the Democratic frontrunner after former President Joe Biden stepped down from the race. She ultimately failed to win the presidency.
She also dismissed speculation that she might run for president.
Asked whether the archetype of the First Lady influences the space available for female leadership, Michelle Obama replied, “I don't agree with that.” She added that she has no intention of running for president because she does not want to “waste” her time while America remains, in her view, unprepared for a woman leader.
The conversation, held in Brooklyn to promote her new book The Look, focused on her approach to fashion and politics during her years in the White House, was posted online on Friday.
Despite being one of the Democratic Party's most effective and popular surrogates, Michelle Obama has consistently rejected the idea of running for president. “I will not run for president. No, nope, not going to do it,” she first said in 2016.
Obama campaigned for Harris last year. At a Michigan rally, she urged voters to consider Harris' qualifications. “By every measure, (Harris) has demonstrated that she's ready. … The real question is, as a country, are we ready for this moment?” she asked.
