Former first lady Michelle Obama shot down speculation that she would run for office during a speech in Orlando Thursday.
In her first speech since her husband left office, she told the America Institute of Architecture convention in Orlando that she didn’t want to subject her daughters, Sasha and Malia, to the strains of campaigning and being in the public eye again.
“It’s all well and good until you start running, and then the knives come out,” she said. “I wouldn’t ask my children to do this again because, when you run for higher office, it’s not just you, it’s your whole family.”
Her appearance comes just days after President Obama gave his first speech since leaving the White House. Obama spoke to students at the University of Chicago Monday, seeking to guide and encourage future generations of political leaders. Like her husband, the former first lady didn’t criticize President Trump during the appearance.
She shared how her daughters left the White House with tears in their eyes as Trump and first lady Melania Trump moved in.
“I didn’t want to have tears in my eyes because people would swear I was crying because of the new president,” she said.
In the month’s since Obamas left office, the former president and first lady have kept a relatively low profile but have recently emerged to give public speeches. For her part, Michelle Obama says she enjoying adjusting to life as a private citizen.
“You can imagine our two dogs, Bo and Sunny, who had never heard a doorbell in their life,” she said adding, “friends are surprised I answer the door now.”
