Michelle Obama Says the U.S. Is “Not Ready” for a Woman in the Oval Office

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  Newsroom

• November 16, 2025

• Newsroom

Michelle Obama Says the U.S. Is “Not Ready” for a Woman in the Oval Office

Former First Lady Michelle Obama said Friday that the United States still struggles to accept the idea of a woman serving as president, telling an audience at the Brooklyn Academy of Music that the country remains unprepared for female leadership at the highest level.

“As we saw in the last election, unfortunately, we’re not ready,” Obama told a crowd of women during a conversation with actress Tracee Ellis Ross. “So when people say, ‘Why don’t you run?’ I’m like—don’t even look at me. You all aren’t ready. Not yet,” she added.

The event centered around Obama’s new book, “The Look,” in which she reflects on how her appearance was constantly scrutinized throughout her time in the White House—her clothing, hairstyles, and every public expression dissected in ways she says overshadowed her work.

In a Facebook post promoting the book, Obama wrote, “During our family’s time in the White House, the way I looked was endlessly picked apart. It’s been a while now, and I want to reclaim more of that story and tell it in my own way. I’m grateful to be at a point in my life where I can express myself freely—wearing what I love and doing what feels true to me.”

Her latest book explores her lifelong relationship with fashion and her experiences as the first Black woman to serve as First Lady. She writes about how women in political spaces often face judgment not for their leadership abilities, but for their physical appearance.

“We still have a lot of growing to do,” Obama said at the event. “There are still, unfortunately, many men who don’t believe they can be led by a woman—and we saw that play out.”

Her comments come in the wake of former Vice President Kamala Harris’s loss to President Donald Trump in the 2024 election, a defeat many analysts say underscored persistent gender biases in American politics.