'You All Are Lying': Michelle Obama Doubles Down on Claim US Men Refuse to Be Led by a Woman President

Former First Lady Michelle Obama has delivered a blunt assessment of America's readiness for female leadership, declaring that the nation 'ain't ready' for a woman president and telling those who claim otherwise: 'you all are lying'.

Speaking at the Brooklyn Academy of Music on 5 November in a conversation with actress Tracee Ellis Ross, Obama pointed to Kamala Harris's defeat by Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election as proof that gender bias remains a formidable barrier to women reaching the Oval Office. The event, part of the rollout for her new book The Look, drew immediate international attention when clips of her comments circulated widely on social media.

'As we saw in this past election, sadly, we ain't ready', Obama said. '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. So don't waste my time'.

The conversation, which was recorded and published to Obama's YouTube channel on 14 November, saw the former first lady elaborate further: 'We got a lot of growing up to do, and there's still, sadly, a lot of men who do not feel like they can be led by a woman, and we saw it'.

A Pattern of Presidential Losses

Obama's assessment acknowledges a stark reality. Two of the Democratic Party's last three nominees — Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Kamala Harris in 2024 — were women, and both ultimately lost presidential elections to Trump.

Clinton's 2016 defeat came despite winning the popular vote by nearly three million ballots. Harris's 2024 loss was more decisive, with Trump securing both the Electoral College and popular vote.

Obama campaigned heavily for Harris in 2024, drawing large crowds to campaign events, advocating for women's health care and pleading with men to vote for Harris. At a Michigan rally days before the election, she asked the crowd: 'By every measure, [Harris] has demonstrated that she's ready. ... The real question is, as a country, are we ready for this moment?'

The answer, Obama now argues, is clear.

'Don't Waste My Time': Shutting Down 2028 Speculation

Obama's comments come as social media campaigns urging her to run in 2028 have proliferated, with 'Michelle 2028' signs appearing at protests and online petitions gaining traction. An Ipsos poll published in March 2024 indicated that 50 per cent of registered voters would favour Obama as the Democratic candidate, compared to 40 per cent for both Joe Biden and Trump.

Yet Obama has been consistent in her refusal to pursue elected office, a stance she first articulated publicly in 2016 whilst still serving as first lady. 'I will not run for president. No, nope, not going to do it', she said at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas.

In a Netflix special, Obama acknowledged that 'Politics is hard', adding: 'It's got to be in your soul, because it is so important. It is not in my soul'.

More recently, she has cited her daughters — Malia, 27, and Sasha, 24 — as a primary reason for staying out of politics. 'My daughters have already served their time', she said on the Not Gonna Lie podcast with Kylie Kelce, describing another White House term as 'unthinkable'.

Obama has since returned to advocacy work, recently launching a coalition through the Obama Foundation's Girls Opportunity Alliance aimed at ensuring girls in economically disadvantaged areas overcome educational barriers.