Michelle Obama Shares ‘Rare’ Casual Photo By Iconic Artist
A photo of former First Lady Michelle Obama wearing jeans and a T-shirt, taken by photographer Annie Leibovitz, is going viral after Obama shared the image to promote a new edition of Leibovitz’s book Women.
By mid-morning, one repost of the photo had already accumulated more than 250,000 views on social media and framed the photo op as “rare.”
Leibovitz, 76, whose career began more than two decades ago with her early work for Rolling Stone, is known for photographing public figures in unconventional settings to highlight different facets of their personalities.
In the new image, Obama, 61, is shown wearing boots, worn jeans, a wide belt, and a T-shirt, with her braided hair pulled back. The setting and styling give the appearance of a rugged, outdoor work environment, consistent with Leibovitz’s signature approach to portraiture.
Or, other observers may see it another way, including USA Today, calling the look “rare” for Obama and noting, “Dressed down in a dark gray henley shirt, lightly distressed blue jeans, a brown leather belt and complementing brown heeled suede boots, Obama’s eyes are closed peacefully as her braids flow in the wind for the photo.”
Last week, Obama gave a new update on reports that she was considering a run for the White House in 2028, but it’s not one that her fans wanted to hear. In an interview, the former first lady said she does not believe the United States is prepared to elect a woman — including her — as president.
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Obama, 61, has long been the focus of speculation from supporters who hope she might launch a White House bid, both during and after her time in her husband’s administration. Calls for a “Michelle 2028” campaign have surfaced again in recent months, including on social media and at recent “No Kings” demonstrations where attendees held signs urging her to run.
But during a Nov. 5 conversation with Tracee Ellis Ross at the Brooklyn Academy of Music to promote her new book, The Look, Obama firmly dismissed the idea.
She said the country “ain’t ready” for a woman to serve as president and made clear she has no plans to enter the 2028 race, People reported.
“Well, as we saw in this past election, sadly, we ain’t ready,” said the former first lady, a reference to Donald Trump’s victory over Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election – though there’s no evidence whatsoever that Harris was rejected for any reason other than more Americans preferred Trump’s policies.
“That’s why I’m like, ‘Don’t even look at me about running, ‘cause you all are lying,’” added Michelle, before reiterating, “You’re not ready for a woman. You are not. So don’t waste my time.”
As the friendly audience cheered, she added: “We got a lot of growing up to do, and there are still, sadly, a lot of men who do not feel like they can be led by a woman, and we saw it.”
Though some supporters continue to hope she might reconsider, Michelle has repeatedly dismissed the idea of entering electoral politics — including running for president — for more than a decade. She infamously declared in 2008 when her husband became the Democratic party nominee that she was, for the first time, proud of America.
During a 2018 appearance on Today marking the International Day of the Girl, anchor Savannah Guthrie asked whether she had any interest in a political career. Obama responded, “Absolutely not,” reaffirming her long-standing position that she has no plans to seek public office.
“I’ve never wanted to be a politician,” Michelle continued at the time. “Nothing has changed in me. I want to serve. … There are so many ways to make an impact. Politics is not my thing. It’s as simple as that.”
She also rejected the idea years earlier, before she and former President Obama left the White House.
Trump Warns Iran of ‘Total Obliteration’ if They Try To Harm Him HH
President Donald Trump warned Iran that continued assassination threats made by leaders in Tehran would be met with the country getting “blown up” and “total obliteration.”
“Well, they shouldn’t be doing it but I’ve left notification,” Trump said. “Anything ever happens, we’re going to blow the whole — the whole country’s going to get blown up.”
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Biden-era Intelligence officials briefed Trump about the alleged threats against him during his presidential campaign in 2024. Former Attorney General Merrick Garland said the plot was retaliation for the killing of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani by the U.S. in 2020, during Trump’s first administration.
Despite being briefed by his administration, Trump on Tuesday said President Biden “should have said something” on the matter, adding that presidents should defend each other on such matters.
“But I have very firm instructions,” Trump continued. “Anything happens, they’re going to wipe them off the face of this earth.”
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Trump also spoke about the ongoing negotiations between the United States and Iran in Geneva.
“What are you expecting from these Iran talks in Geneva?” a reporter asked Trump aboard Air Force One.
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“So, I’ll be involved in those talks indirectly, and they’ll be very important. We’ll see what can happen. Typically, Iran’s a very tough negotiator; they’re good negotiators — or bad negotiators. I would say they’re bad negotiators because we could have had a deal instead of sending the B2s to knock out their nuclear potential. We had to send the B2s. I hope they’re going to be more reasonable. They want to make a deal,” Trump said.
“Have you been told that a deal is next to impossible?” the reporter followed up.
Trump replied, “No. I think they want to make a deal. I don’t think they want the consequences of not making a deal. They want to make a deal.”
WATCH:
Trump previously said that he instructed officials to destroy Iran if they killed him.
The president said this after signing an executive order right after taking office that gave him all the tools he needed to talk to Iran’s government and put as much pressure on Tehran as possible.
“They haven’t done that and that would be a terrible thing for them to do,” Trump said at the time. “Not because of me — if they did that, they would be obliterated. That would be the end. I’ve left instructions, if they do it, they get obliterated, there won’t be anything left. And, they shouldn’t be able to do it.”
Trump warned last week that the United States could send additional warships toward Iran if ongoing diplomatic negotiations fail to produce a deal, signaling that military pressure could increase as talks over Tehran’s nuclear program stall.
In remarks to Axios, Trump said the administration is considering deploying a second aircraft carrier strike group to the region in addition to the USS Abraham Lincoln and 9 additional warships already positioned near Iran, though he expressed hope that a diplomatic agreement can still be reached.
“Either we will make a deal or we will have to do something very tough like last time,” the president told Axios on Tuesday, a reference to the bombing of three Iranian nuclear sites in June.
“Last time they didn’t believe I would do it. They overplayed their hand,” Trump added. “We have an armada that is heading there and another one might be going.”
The president emphasized that the United States is seeking to persuade Iran to curb its nuclear ambitions, halt the development of its ballistic missile program, and end support for militant proxy groups. Iranian officials have so far resisted expanding negotiations beyond nuclear-related issues.
He described the nuclear issue as a “matter of course” part of any negotiation, but also insisted that an agreement with Iran must also address Tehran’s ballistic missile stockpiles, per Axios.
Trump said the US “can make a great deal with Iran,” and Tehran “very much wants to make a deal.”
Trump’s comments came ahead of a planned visit to Washington, D.C. by Benjamin Netanyahu, who is expected to press for a tougher U.S. stance and broader terms for any Iran deal that would include constraints on Tehran’s missile capabilities and regional activities.
Before heading to DC, the Israeli leader previewed some of what he and Trump were going to discuss.
“I will present to the president our understanding of the principles of the negotiations (with Iran) – the essential principles that are important not only to Israel – but to everyone who wants peace and security in the Middle East,” Netanyahu told reporters, per the New York Post.
The administration has already bolstered its military presence in the Middle East, with multiple warships and aircraft deployed as a means of deterrence and leverage.
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