First lady Michelle Obama will not follow in Hillary Clinton’s footsteps and seek public office, President Obama guaranteed during a TV interview airing Friday.
Obama was asked by daytime talk show host Michael Strahan how he would react if, 10 years from now, the first lady announced she wanted to seek public office.
“I would say, ‘Where did you take my wife?’ ” Obama responded. “I would be sure there had been an alien body snatching going on. One thing I can promise you, Michelle will not run for office.”
{mosads}In a series of playful, rapid-fire questions, the president also credited the first lady for his decision not to dye his rapidly graying hair.
“I’ll be honest with you — I see Michelle in the hair salon. It’s just too much work,” Obama said. “It takes my barber 20 minutes to do my hair.”
The president said he and the first lady were still grappling with their daughters growing up, noting that Sasha is set to turn 12 early next month, and Malia had recently attended her first prom.
“The first time you see your daughter in heels is a little jarring,” Obama said.
The president also pined for the anonymity he enjoyed before becoming a public figure. Asked what he would do if he could ditch the Secret Service, the president said he’d take a simple walk.
“I’d just walk out this gate; I might walk out to the Lincoln Memorial, sit out there, wander around, find myself at a little outdoor cafe and watch people go by,” Obama said.