Michelle Obama said she will not pursue a future presidential run, arguing that the country is not prepared to elect a woman as president.

The former first lady discussed the issue during an appearance at the Brooklyn Academy of Music while promoting her new book The Look, as reported by The Gateway Pundit.

Obama referenced the results of the most recent election, saying, “As we saw in this past election, sadly, we ain’t ready.”

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She continued, “That’s why I’m like, don’t even look at me about running, because you all are lying. You’re not ready for a woman. You are not.”

Obama added, “You know, we’ve got a lot of growing up to do. And there’s still, sadly, a lot of men who do not feel like they can be led by a woman, and we saw it.”

Her comments came as she promoted The Look, in which she writes about her experiences with fashion, beauty, and public scrutiny.

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Obama has been mentioned for years by Democratic strategists as a potential presidential candidate because of her high favorability ratings. She has repeatedly said she does not intend to run for office.

During her appearance, Obama also discussed her view of how the American public perceived her family during Barack Obama’s presidency.

Earlier this month, she told ABC in an interview that the country did not show her family “grace” because of their race. The interviewer referenced Obama’s own writing, saying, “You said we were all too aware that as a first black couple, we couldn’t afford any missteps.”

The host then asked, “And you also say as a black woman, I was under a particularly white, hot glare. Did you feel that?”

“For sure,” Obama responded. “You can’t afford to get anything wrong because you didn’t get the—at least until the country came to know us. We didn’t get the grace that I think some other families have gotten.”

She also referenced her time as a college student, recalling concerns that others might assume she was admitted because of affirmative action.

In a video clip shared online, Obama said, “Back in college, I was one of the few Black students on my campus, and I was proud of getting into such a respected school. I knew I’d worked hard for it. But still, I sometimes wondered if people thought I got there because of affirmative action.”

She added, “So often, we just accept that money, power, and privilege are perfectly justifiable forms of affirmative action, while kids growing up like I did are expected to compete when the ground is anything but level.”

Obama is currently on a national media tour promoting her book, which focuses on how women in public roles are judged for their appearance and the challenges associated with that scrutiny.

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