Michigan Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer said she believed the country was ready for a female president, pushing back on recent comments by former first lady Michelle Obama, who said American voters were not ready to elect a woman to the White House.

In an NPR interview released Tuesday, Whitmer said she “loves” the former first lady and “the last thing I want to do is disagree with her,” but she has a different perspective.

“I think America is ready for a female president,” Whitmer said. “The question comes down to a choice between two people, and what we saw in the last election was that while Kamala Harris didn’t defeat President Trump, we saw women being elected across the country.”

“We’re seeing women winning votes in tough and important states, so I do think they’re interested,” she added. “I just, for whatever reason, we haven’t had a female president. I think we will at some point in the near future.”

Michelle Obama says US ‘not ready’ for female president: ‘We saw that in the last election’

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said she believes the country is ready for a female president. (Wyn McNamee/Getty Images)

The governor cited the Democratic gubernatorial election victory last year. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia and Mickey Sherrill of New Jersey, along with Sen. Alyssa Slotkin, D-Mich., in 2024.

In November, Obama said Americans were “not ready” to elect a woman to the White House, noting that former Vice President Kamala Harris lost the last presidential election to President Donald Trump.

“As we are past electionsUnfortunately, we’re not ready,” the former first lady said at the time while promoting her new book, “The Look,” at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

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Former first lady Michelle Obama says Americans are “not ready” to elect a woman to the White House. (Melina Mara/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

“That’s why I say, don’t even look at me talking about running, because you’re all lying. You’re not ready for women. You’re not… We have a lot of growing up to do and sadly there are still a lot of men who feel like they can’t be led by a woman and we see that,” she added.

Asked whether Harris lost the presidential election to Trump because she was a woman, Whitmer responded: “I don’t think it’s just about gender, no.”

Whitmer, who is term-limited and cannot seek a third term as governor, said she has no current plans to run for another office.

She has been nominated as a 2028 presidential candidate, but the governor says her focus remains Serving Michigan and helping her party’s candidates win the upcoming midterm elections.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says she doesn’t think former Vice President Kamala Harris lost to President Donald Trump just because she’s a woman. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

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Asked how Democrats can win in this year’s midterm elections, Whitmer pointed to her decision to continue “focusing on the fundamentals” in her gubernatorial campaign.

“I don’t think Michigan is unique in this,” Whitmer said. “I think everyone in this country wants and expects government to make their lives better, so that’s the model we have in Michigan and I think that can be successfully replicated anywhere.”