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Michelle Obama addresses calls to announce presidency as new poll declares her ‘only Biden alternative’ to beat Trump

Michelle Obama has addressed the calls to run as the presidential candidate of the Democratic party, replacing incumbent Joe Biden.

Updated on: Jul 3, 2024, 21:04:25 IST
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Michelle Obama, the former First Lady of the United States, has addressed the calls to run as the presidential candidate of the Democratic party, replacing incumbent Joe Biden.

Michelle Obama's office has again confirmed that she will not run for president in 2024. (AFP)
Michelle Obama's office has again confirmed that she will not run for president in 2024. (AFP)

This comes amidst Democrats' concerns regarding the rerun of 81-year-old Biden following his disastrous presidential debate performance and worries around his mental and physical fitness. They believe these concerns may well be resolved if they manage to convince Michelle Obama to declare her candidacy.

According to NBC News, Michelle's office has again confirmed that she will not run for president in 2024. “As former First Lady Michelle Obama has expressed several times over the years, she will not be running for president.”

Calling politics “hard”, she said: “It's got to be in your soul, because it is so important. It is not in my soul.”

Michelle intends to support the Biden campaign, focusing on voter turnout.

Is Michelle Obama only Biden alternative to beat Trump?

Michelle Obama, 60, is the only potential opponent who can defeat Republican leader Donald Trump in the 2024 White House race, as per a new poll.

According to a Reuters and Ipsos poll, the former first lady would defeat Trump, 78, by ten points, and no other contender could defeat the former president.

Last week, Biden made a number of verbal blunders during the catastrophic debate performance in which US President.

Michelle's support skyrocketed despite previously declaring that she wouldn't run for office and continue to support Biden's reelection.

When asked which Democratic candidate they would prefer, half of the respondents stated they would vote for Michelle, while only 39% indicated they would vote for Trump.

If Biden steps down from the race, the front-runners who can succeed him include Gavin Newsom or Kamala Harris. However, they were polled significantly lower than Trump.

According to the poll, one in three Democrats believe that the president should withdraw from the campaign following the CNN debate. However, no well-known elected Democrat performed any better than Biden. Nearly fifty percent of the respondents surveyed felt that Trump should withdraw from the race, while three out of five believe that Biden should.

Also Read: Biden mocks Trump for thinking he had the 'greatest economy in the world'

Biden admits he fell asleep on stage

Biden blamed his poor debate performance on two international travels in June that involved "going through 100 time zones". He made this claim during a meeting with his family members and confidants at Camp David.

”[I] didn’t listen to my staff and came back and nearly fell asleep on stage,” he stated while attributing his lackluster performance to jet lag. “That’s no excuse but it is an explanation.”

  • Shweta Kukreti
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Shweta Kukreti

    Shweta Kukreti has over 8 years of experience in covering Indian and world politics. She joined the Hindustan Times in 2024 and is primarily assigned to the US desk. She currently works as Deputy Chief Content Producer and reports on a wide range of topics, including US politics, immigration issues (especially H-1B visa) and major global events. Shweta strongly emphasizes team operations, which encompasses monitoring news, delegating tasks, editing, developing comprehensive coverage strategies, and crafting engaging, and data-informed narratives. She received the Digi Star Award at the Hindustan Times within a year of joining for her broad coverage of US politics. In 2025, she earned both a promotion and a redesignation, a significant achievement recognising her contributions and the strong value she brings to the team. She has previously worked with the Indian Express, HTDS, ANI and Republic World. Seniors in all the media organisations recognised her work. Regarding education, she earned a BA (Hons.) in Political Science and a master's degree from Delhi University, and she pursued a PG Diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Institution of Mass Communication (IIMC). She also holds a diploma in Women's Empowerment and Development from IGNOU University and a French certification course from Alliance Française de Delhi. If not working, you can find her exploring the hills and engaging in adventurous activities in Rishikesh and Himachal Pradesh. She loves to play badminton, volleyball, and chess, and spend time with her friends and family. She also enjoys spiritual activities.Read More