In a podcast interview released on Monday, former first lady Michelle Obama expressed her fear of this year’s presidential election. Sounding much like an unannounced candidate, she declared that “we cannot take this democracy for granted.”

She spoke on Jay Shetty’s “On Purpose” program on mental health but steered into the political sphere — as could be expected.

The host asked Obama to discuss “the thing that keeps you up at night, or what is your biggest fear now?” That’s when she swerved into the 2024 presidential election and claimed she suffers from “knowing too much.”

shes running https://t.co/aUUfbixWXO

— Tim Pool (@Timcast) January 9, 2024

Obama said that was the result of being “married to the president of the United States who knows everything about everything in the world.” She said this led to wanting “to turn it off.” 

The former first lady rattled off topics from climate change to artificial intelligence before settling on what truly keeps her awake.

Obama asked, “What’s gonna happen in this next election? I am terrified about what could possibly happen, because our leaders matter. Who we select, who speaks for us, who holds that bully pulpit affects us in ways that sometimes I think people take for granted.” 

In a remarkably candid and telling moment, Obama revealed the extent to which she believes the U.S. government is involved in everyday lives. She suggested that the public does not give Washington bureaucrats enough credit.

After all, she said that the government does “everything for us.”

So, to hear Michelle Obama tell it, she knows more than anyone else because she’s married to an ex-president. And the government that he ran and is currently run by his former vice president is responsible for “everything.”

There are doubtlessly many in the Democratic Party who would love to see the former first lady at the top of the 2024 presidential ticket. Few are enamored with Biden, particularly with new polls showing him trailing former President Donald Trump in battleground states.

A possible scenario is a teaming of Obama with Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is obviously angling for national office. There should be no mistaking that absolutely nothing is off the table to prevent Trump from gaining a second term.