Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Sunday pushed back on former first lady Michelle Obama’s remarks last year that American voters were not ready to elect a female president.
“Listen, I have a lot of colleagues who I think might be interested in running for president, and I hear everybody saying, ‘You can’t let this person or that person,'” the governor told NBC News’ “Meet the Press.”
“I would put my money on any Democratic governor in the country [Vice President] JD Vance OR [Secretary of State] Marco Rubio will be elected in 2028,” she added, referring to the two Republicans widely expected to run for president within two years.
When asked directly if a woman was the best choice to defeat a potential Republican presidential candidate in 2028, Whitmer simply said: “I do.”
In 2025, Obama said in a public speech: “Sadly, as we saw in the last election, we are not ready. That’s why I say, don’t even look at me talking about the campaign, because you are all lying. You are not ready for women. You are not yet.”
Several women, including Whitmer and former Vice President Kamala Harris, have been widely speculated as potential candidates in the 2028 Democratic presidential primary.
On Sunday, Whitmer did not deny that she was exploring the possibility of a 2028 presidential run and said she would decide her next steps after resigning as governor in January.
“When I leave office … I’m going to take some time off to think about what to do next, so unfortunately I don’t have anything new to share with you,” Whitmer told “Meet the Press” host Kristen Welker.
Earlier this year, Whitmer denied she planned to run for president, but quickly walked back that comment.
“There’s going to be a strong group of people running for president,” she said at the time, adding, “I can tell you I’m not going to be one of them in 2028.”
Later in the day, the governor said: “I never thought I would run for governor. So I guess I should know better than to never say never.”
Several other Democratic governors, including California Governor Gavin Newsom, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, Maryland Governor Wes Moore and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, are also widely considered 2028 presidential candidates. They are each traveling the country on behalf of Democratic gubernatorial candidates in competitive campaigns ahead of the midterm elections.
Whitmer on Sunday emphasized her support for Ohio gubernatorial Democratic candidate Amy Acton, a former public health official.
Earlier this week, Acton’s mother called Acton a “liar” in a TV ad released by her opponent, Republican businessman Vivek Ramaswamy. Acton has spoken out about being estranged from her mother for nearly 50 years and accusing her late stepfather of sexually abusing her. Acton and her brother were removed from their mother’s custody in 1978 after Acton’s stepfather, Cledith Arthur, was arrested for child rape. Acton’s mother has not yet responded to a request for comment.
“I will continue to focus on getting people like Amy Acton across the finish line. What happened to her in Ohio was absolutely abhorrent, and any survivor knows there will always be a backlash. But that’s what makes it harder for women in this country to seek help after being sexually assaulted,” Whitmer said Sunday. “What’s happening is unreal, and that’s why we have to do this – we have to win competitions like this and elect the best people who will put people first, like Dr. Amy Acton.”
Ramaswamy’s decision to air the ad was met with widespread condemnation from both parties, including from Ohio Republican Sen. Jon Husted, who faces a tight re-election battle.