OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Former First Lady Michelle Obama has addressed a question about whether she would ever run for president. Speaking to Naga Munchetty on BBC Breakfast, the former first lady said she “detests” being asked whether she would ever consider running for the top position herself.
“No,” Michelle Obama said before the host moved on.
A few days ago, Michelle Obama made headlines during an interview on ABC News when she paused for several seconds when asked about whether she would support President Joe Biden running for a second term in 2024.
In an interview, Obama appeared to be caught off guard by the question and stammered through her answer when asked by ABC’s Robin Roberts if she hopes Biden will run for reelection.
“I — will have to see. The reason I don’t speak on that is because I know what it feels like to be on the other side of it, and I think that that’s a personal decision that he and his family have to make,” Obama said. “Probably, if I hadn’t been through it, I’d feel more cavalier about opining on it, but I know it’s a personal call, and I don’t want to be one of the millions of people weighing in on what he should do, he and Jill should do.”
WATCH:
When asked by @RobinRoberts if President Biden should run in the 2024 election, former first lady Michelle Obama said she doesn’t “speak on that” because she knows “what it feels like to be on the other side of it.” #MichelleObama https://t.co/BKf9XdBBUv pic.twitter.com/O1ELPW4LTw
— 20/20 (@ABC2020) November 14, 2022
Several polls this year have shown that most Democrats don’t want Biden to run again.
A poll recently found that only four in ten Democrats want Biden to run again in 2024.
Breitbart provided a breakdown of the findings:
The survey simply asked respondents, “Do you want Joe Biden to run for president again in 2024?”
Overall, just 22 percent of Americans said they want Biden to run again in 2024, while most, 54 percent, do not. Another 24 percent remain unsure. However, while one would assume Biden would see majority support from his Democrat base, that is not the case, as just 39 percent of Democrats desire to see Biden to run in the next presidential election. That figure is even lower among independents — 13 percent.
Perhaps what is worse for Biden, just 34 percent of those who voted for him in the 2020 election want him to run again. The survey also found Biden’s favorably rating under water, as 43 percent view him favorably, compared to 50 percent who do not. His job approval is even worse. Most, 51 percent, disapprove of his job as president, compared to 42 percent who approve of it.
While a majority, overall, indicate they do not want former President Donald Trump to run again, per the poll, unlike Biden, Trump enjoys majority support from his base, as 54 percent of Republicans want him to run for president again in 2024. Further, a majority of those who voted for Trump in 2020 want him to run again as well.
A national Marquette Law School poll released in September found similar results, with almost three in four Americans (72%) saying that they do not want Biden to run again in 2024.
“While Republicans are unsurprisingly keen on Biden bowing out (88% don’t want him to run again), so too are independents (79% don’t want him to run again). And even among Biden’s Democratic base, his numbers on the question are middling, with 52% saying he should run again and the other 48% saying he should not. Polls conducted over the summer from CNN and the New York Times/Siena College found that large majorities of Democrats wanted to the party nominate someone other than Biden for president in 2024,” CNN reported.
“It’s not immediately clear why so many people in the Marquette poll lean against a Biden reelection bid since the pollster didn’t ask respondents to offer a reason for their skepticism. But past polls have suggested that Biden’s advanced age – he is 79 and will turn 82 shortly after the 2024 election – plays a large factor in doubts Americans have about him serving a second term,” the outlet added.
In January, a poll released by CNN found that a majority of registered Democrats and Democrat-leaning Independents think the party should look elsewhere for the 2024 nomination.
The poll asked registered Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents who they believe the party “should nominate as the party’s candidate for president in 2024,” giving them the options of Biden or a different candidate.
Only 45 percent of Democrats said the party should renominate Biden, while a whopping 51 percent said they preferred an alternative. Five percent said they had no opinion on the matter.
