“It’s all well and good until you start running, and then the knives come out,” she said. “One issue that I am excited about continuing to work on is … to help young girls get an education around the world,” she said, citing the Let Girls Learn initiative she launched as first lady. "(It's been) so far so good -- it hasn't been that long since we left ... it's good to not have the weight of the world upon your shoulders."
– If you were hoping that the US might someday have a President Michelle Obama, we have bad news for you. The former first lady says she won't run for political office, CNN reports. During her first speech since the Obamas left the White House, Michelle on Thursday told a crowd at the American Institute of Architecture convention in Florida that since exiting political life, it's been "good to not have the weight of the world upon your shoulders." She added that she plans to continue working on behalf of women and girls, but that she can make an impact without being an elected official. "It’s all well and good until you start running [for office], and then the knives come out. Politics is tough, and it’s hard on a family," she said, according to the Orlando Sentinel. "I wouldn’t ask my children to do this again because, when you run for higher office, it’s not just you, it’s your whole family." She added that as a private citizen, she can work for the causes that are important to her without "the burden of political baggage," but assured the audience that public service would always be a part of her and her husband's lives.