During a recent interview, former First Lady Michelle Obama shared that she’s keeping her eyes on the 2024 presidential election and that it’s keeping her up at night.
Obama made her comments, saying she was “terrified about what could possibly happen,” while appearing on Jay Shetty’s podcast “On Purpose.”
“Because our leaders matter. Who we select, who speaks for us, who holds that bully pulpit — it affects us in ways that sometimes I think people take for granted,” the former first lady said.
She went on to say that “we cannot take this democracy for granted” and that who wins the next election is very important.
“Those are the things that keep me up,” she said.
She also said she’s worried about the future of artificial intelligence, education, voter engagement, and people being too dependent on their phones.
Shetty asked Obama what her thoughts today were on her line “When they go low, we go high” that she said at the 2016 Democratic National Convention and what offends her today.
“Injustice, ego, greed,” Obama answered. “Racism, ignorance — it’s offensive. And I’ve always been that kid. I don’t like unfairness; I don’t like bullies. But I have to think about how I deliver messages.”
While she didn’t name former President Donald Trump specifically, she did appear to condemn her husband’s successor for his actions and comments.
“The tone and tenor of the message matters. We can’t just say what the first thing that comes to our minds,” she said. “That is not authenticity to me. That’s childish, and we see childish leadership right before us — what that looks like and how that feels, where somebody is just base, and vulgar and cynical in a leadership position.”
Overall, Obama said she wants to be a source of good and “resonate reason and compassion and empathy.”