Jill Biden says she no longer feels confident that the United States will elect a woman president within her lifetime.
Speaking on SiriusXM’s Let’s Talk Off Camera with Kelly Ripa, the former first lady reflected on how long the country has gone without putting a woman in the Oval Office, despite several historic milestones along the way.
Women have reached the vice presidency, mounted serious White House campaigns, and earned the backing of a major political party, yet the presidency itself has still not been won by a woman. This puts the United States among only seven of the world’s 20 largest economies yet to elect a female head of state or government, while nearly half of all countries have been led by a woman at some point.
After spending four years in the White House during Joe Biden’s presidency, Jill Biden has been closely involved in Democratic campaigning and has supported some of the party’s most prominent female figures.
Even so, her latest remarks suggest her optimism has faded, particularly after the result of the 2024 election.
When asked whether the US would eventually see a woman become president, Jill gave a bleak assessment. As reported by People, she answered: “In my lifetime. I’m 75. I feel like probably not in my lifetime, Kelly, but maybe in yours.”
She went on to describe how convinced she had been that Kamala Harris would win after taking over as the Democratic nominee from Joe Biden.
She continued: “I really did think last time that Kamala was gonna win. I was out on the campaign trail for her,
“I saw the excitement, I saw the crowds, I saw [it] at the convention. I saw all the energy, and I thought, ‘Finally, we’re going to have a woman president.’ And I must tell you, I was shocked… the morning after when I got up at 5:00 in the morning to feed Willow and get ready for the day, and I found out that she had lost. Shocked.”
Harris became the Democratic candidate in July 2024 after Joe Biden withdrew from the race amid growing pressure following his debate showing against Donald Trump. She was ultimately defeated by Trump, marking the second time in eight years that a major-party female candidate lost a presidential election.
She was ultimately defeated by Trump, though speculation has continued over whether she could mount another presidential campaign in the future.
Among the Democratic women regularly mentioned as possible contenders for 2028 are Harris, New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Political analysts have raised concerns about whether Democrats will be hesitant to nominate another female candidate following recent losses by female nominees, with some suggesting the party may face pressure to pursue a different demographic profile for the 2028 race.
Jill Biden is not alone in questioning whether the country is prepared to elect a woman. Fox News previously highlighted comments from Michelle Obama, who said America ‘ain’t ready’ after Harris lost, a view that drew pushback from other leading Democrats.
Harris rejected that position in a December 2025 interview with The New York Times, saying: “I do believe the country is ready.” She has also left open the possibility of mounting another presidential campaign, telling the BBC in 2026 that she expects a woman will be president in the coming years and it could “possibly” be her.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also dismissed the suggestion when discussing Obama’s remarks and challenged the notion that a woman could not serve as commander-in-chief.
She said: “Well, I hope — I mean, I respect her and I know that view is one that we all are saddened by, but we — I think we have to change. The fact is that I’ve heard every excuse in the book, you know, like, ‘I’m not sure a woman could be commander-in-chief.’ Well, why not?” she asked.
“‘Well, I served in the military.’ Well, OK. And so? So do women serve in the military.”