Former First Lady Michelle Obama has opened up about the powerful reason she will never run for president. Obama, who served from 2009 to 2017 during Barack Obama’s two terms, has long been viewed by many as a potential presidential candidate. But she made it clear that a bid is not in her future. Speaking in Brooklyn with black-ish actress Tracee Ellis Ross while promoting her new book The Look, Obama was asked whether America is ready for a woman president.

Pointing to Vice President Kamala Harris’s loss to Donald Trump in 2024, she responded bluntly: “As we saw in this past election, sadly, we ain’t ready.” She continued, “That’s why I’m like, don’t even look at me about running. You’re not ready for a woman. We’ve got a lot of growing up to do, and there are still many men who feel they cannot be led by a woman—and we saw that.”

In The Look, Obama reflects not only on leadership but also on how her personal style carried meaning throughout her time in the White House. She explains how she used fashion to highlight issues such as education, military families, and children’s health. However, she also recalls how something as simple as her sleeveless dress became a target for criticism.

During Barack Obama’s first address to a joint session of Congress, her outfit drew headlines like Up In Arms and Sleevegate for showing her arms—an outrage she notes previous First Ladies like Jacqueline Kennedy did not face. Obama writes that this scrutiny “otherized” her and Barack, portraying them as outsiders who didn’t fit the “rules” of Washington’s elite world.