Whitmer pushes back on Michelle Obama: America is ready to elect a woman president

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) pushed back on former first lady Michelle Obama’s remarks that the U.S. was not ready to elect a woman president.

Appearing on NBC’s “ Meet the Press ,” about Obama’s past comments, Whitmer responded, saying, “Listen, I have got a lot of colleagues who I think are probably interested in running for president, and I’ve heard everyone say ‘you can’t have this person’ or ‘that person.’”

“I would put my money on any Democratic governor in the country against JD Vance or Marco Rubio in 2028. So time will tell who the slate of candidates are,” she continued, adding that Democrats needed to “stay focused on delivering for people and making their lives easier and helping to keep more money in your pocket.”

“I think that’s going to be a compelling message for whomever the candidate is,” she concluded.

When asked if the Democratic presidential nominee in 2028 could be a woman, Whitmer said, “I do.”

Her statements contrast what Obama said in 2025 following former Vice President Kamala Harris’s loss to President Trump.

“As we saw in this past election, sadly, we ain’t ready,” Obama told a crowd of women at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. “That’s why I’m like, don’t even look at me about running, because you all are lying. You’re not ready for a woman. You are not.”

Whitmer and Harris alongside Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) are among the top contenders for the 2028 presidential nomination. Harris and Ocasio-Cortez hit the campaign trail earlier this month to rally with candidates in battleground elections heightening speculation about their presidential odds.

None of the three female Democrats have formally announced plans to run.

In April, Whitmer stated she would not run for president, telling WJBK-TV that “there will be a robust group of people running for president. I will not be one of them in 2028, I can tell you that.”

Though former President Obama said he would not run for president in 2008 before he reversed his decision.

The two-term governor continued in the interview that she looked forward to taking a break once she leaves office and “thinking about it, not jumping right into something.”