President Barack Obama on Friday shut down speculation that First Lady Michelle Obama might pursue a political career of her own.
The First Lady has become one of Hillary Clinton’s most popular and effective surrogates during the presidential race. She has captured audiences with impassioned, emotional speeches at the Democratic National Convention and on the campaign trail. At a rally in North Carolina on Thursday, it was Clinton who spoke first and introduced Michelle Obama to resounding applause.
Her popularity has led some to suggest she might seek elected office herself, but her husband ruled it out in an interview Friday. “She will never run for office,” President Obama said during a radio interview on Sway in the Morning. “She is as talented and brilliant a person as there is, and I could not be prouder of her, but Michelle does not have the patience or the inclination to actually be a candidate herself. And that’s one thing y’all can take to the bank.”
He said he and his wife will continue advocating for certain causes once they leave the White House.
“We’re going to continue to be very active in issues we care about,” he said, mentioning two of their initiatives, My Brother’s Keeper and Let Girls Learn. “We’re going to be doing a lot of work. We’ll just be doing it a different way.”
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