Spokesperson for Michelle Obama denies that she will run for president
Most polls continue to show President Joe Biden lagging behind former President Donald Trump ahead of this year's election.
While this has led some observers to suggest that former First Lady Michelle Obama could replace him on the ballot, she just pushed back with a bombshell announcement.
Spokesperson says Mrs. Obama "will not be running for president"
Crystal Carson serves as director of communications for the former first lady's office, and according to Fox News, disavowed talk of a White House run.
"As former First Lady Michelle Obama has expressed several times over the years, she will not be running for president," Carson declared on Tuesday.
Fox News noted that the message in Carson's statement was similar to what Mrs. Obama herself said to The National in a 2019 interview.
"Just between us, and the readers of this magazine — there’s zero chance," the former first lady was quoted as stating.
"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," she acknowledged before adding, "But sitting behind the desk in the Oval Office will never be one of them. It’s just not for me."
Op-ed argues that Democrats could "solve two major problems" with Obama
However, those words are unlikely to convince former Democratic New York City Council President Andrew Stein and conservative filmmaker Joel Gilbert.
In an op-ed piece published this past weekend by New York Post, Stein and Gilbert characterized Mrs. Obama as being "very political" and argued that her candidacy would "solve two major problems for Democrats."
"First, she can bring back the black voters who have been steadily hemorrhaging to Donald Trump," they maintained.
"Second, the very unpopular Kamala Harris would be leapfrogged without any repercussions from the minority community," they pointed out.
Mrs. Obama's law school professor said she "could easily be president"
The pair also noted that Mrs. Obama studied under Harvard Law School professor Charles Ogletree, who also taught her future husband, former President Barack Obama.
For his part, Ogletree said in a 2017 interview with TMZ that Mrs. Obama "should have been president" while also describing her as a "better" student who "could easily be president."
As they drew to a close, Stein and Gilbert pointed to a statement the former first lady put out on January 7, 2021, maintaining that it "alone should prove Michelle Obama is a very political woman — and has her sights on the White House in 2024."
