Sarah Palin predicts Michelle Obama will replace Biden on 2024 ticket

Rightwing Republicans’ obsession with former first lady shows no sign of abating

Sarah Palin has suggested that former first lady Michelle Obama will replace President Joe Biden atop the Democratic ticket, as right-wing Republicans’ obsession with Ms Obama shows no sign of abating.

The former Alaska governor and 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee decided to jump into the discussion as baseless conspiracy theories were being shared on X, the platform previously known as Twitter.

James Bradley, a Republican running for US Senate in California, shared a lengthy post on X, writing that “Political author Greg Rubini has reported inside info that: Kamala [Harris] will be forced to resign as VP, and sent to the Senate to replace Dianne Feinstein”.

“Then, Gavin Newsom will be subbed in as VP. THEN they will REMOVE Joe Biden from office. QUOTE: ‘Either he will ‘die of Covid’ or ‘he fell from his bicycle’ or whatever. One way or another, he will be forced to resign.’ Then, Newsom will run against Trump!” he added.

“I HAVE NO TROUBLE BELIEVING ANY OF THIS,” he wrote, despite a complete lack of evidence for this version of events.

While California Governor Gavin Newsom is considered a future Democratic presidential contender, this election cycle he has been one of Mr Biden’s most vocal defenders, including during appearances on Fox News.

Continuing his diatribe, Mr Bradley wrote that “since 2020 it’s become obvious that politics has become a 3D chess game, with human pieces FROM BOTH PARTIES being moved into their places. So when Newsom says he won’t run for president – this is what he means. The presidency will be given to him”.

“Folks, AMERICA is at DEFCON ONE! Giving Newsom national power is an existential crisis! WE MUST TAKE BACK THE WHITE HOUSE IN 2024, OR AMERICA IS LOST TO US. I’m in the fight. I pray that you will join me there. God bless America,” he concluded.

Ms Palin commented on Mr Bradley’s post, writing: “Don’t be surprised, but I still say it’ll be Michelle O’ #2024Election Biden’s out.”

Ms Obama has said time and again that she has no interest in running for any kind of public office, but the suggestions that she may keep coming.

On a recent episode of his podcast Verdict with Ted Cruz, the Texas Republican senator said: “So here’s the scenario that I think is perhaps the most likely and most dangerous. In August of 2024, the Democrat kingmakers jettison Joe Biden and parachute in Michelle Obama. I view this as a very serious danger.”

Mr Cruz argued that Ms Obama would gather more support than anyone else, mentioning Ms Harris, Mr Newsom, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren.

“Michelle Obama, because she was first lady, has the ability to kind of parachute in above all four and say, ‘Hey we’re not picking among any of you. You guys can all fight it out next time,’” Mr Cruz said. “I think in terms of a solution that unifies Democrats. There ain’t nothing like that.”

But he noted: “I also think Michelle is not all that eager to run for president.”