Michigan’s Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer said she believes America is ready for a female president, backtracking on recent comments from former first lady Michelle Obama who said American voters were not ready to elect a woman to the White House.
In an interview with NPR released Tuesday, Whitmer said she has “love” for the former first lady and “the last thing I want to do is disagree with her,” but that she has a different perspective.
“I think America is ready for a female president,” Whitmer said. “The question comes down to a choice between two people. What we saw in the last election, while Kamala Harris did not defeat President Trump, we saw women getting elected across the country.”
“We saw women winning elections more and more in difficult, important states, so I think there is an appetite,” she added. “For whatever reason, we haven’t had a female president yet. I think we will in the near future.”
MICHELLE OBAMA SAYS AMERICA ‘NOT READY’ FOR FEMALE PRESIDENT: ‘WE SEE IN THIS ELECTION’
The governor cited last year’s election victories for Democrats. Abigail Spanberger in Virginia and Mikie Sherill in New Jersey, as well as Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., in 2024.
In November, Obama said Americans are “not ready” to elect a woman to the White House, citing former Vice President Kamala Harris’ election loss to President Donald Trump in the last presidential election.
‘As we saw these past electionsUnfortunately, we’re not ready yet,” the former first lady said at the Brooklyn Academy of Music at the time while promoting her book “The Look.”
NANCY PELOSI THINKS A WOMAN WILL BE ELECTED PRESIDENT, BUT ‘MAY NOT’ IN HER LIFETIME
Former first lady Michelle Obama said Americans are “not ready” to elect a woman to the White House. (Melina Mara/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
“That’s why I’m like, don’t even look at me when it comes to running, because you’re all lying. You’re not ready for a woman. You’re not… We have a lot of growing up to do, and unfortunately there are still a lot of men who don’t feel like they can be led by a woman, and we’ve seen that,” she added.
Asked whether Harris lost to Trump in the presidential election because she is a woman, Whitmer replied: “I don’t think it was just gender, no.”
Whitmer, who is term-limited and cannot seek a third term as governor, said she currently has no plans to run for another office.
She has been floated as a potential presidential candidate in 2028, but the governor said her focus remains on serving Michigan and helping her party’s candidates win the upcoming midterm elections.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said she doesn’t think former Vice President Kamala Harris lost to President Donald Trump just because she is a woman. (SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Asked how Democrats could win this year’s midterm elections, Whitmer pointed to her gubernatorial campaign’s decision to “stay focused on the fundamentals.”
“I don’t think Michigan is unique in that,” Whitmer said. “I think everyone in this country wants and expects government to make their lives better, and so that has been our formula here in Michigan and I think it can be successfully replicated everywhere.”
#Gov #Whitmer #America #ready #female #president #Michelle #Obama