Shortly before former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama addressed the Democratic National Convention, former President Donald Trump told CNN that Obama was a "nice gentleman" and that he respected the couple. Jon Stewart called Trump's compliment "bulls**t" on his podcast "The Weekly Show," positing that the reason why Michelle did not enter the 2024 presidential race was because of "vile" and "conspiratorial" attacks fanned by Trump.
"You could tell though she was wounded by the treatment that the Obama family, not just the president, but the entire family, she was really wounded by the, if we’re being honest, disgusting treatment, which continues to this day, of the Obama family and just the vile politics, not policy, not anything other than vile, conspiratorial, personal, disturbing [attacks],” Stewart said, agreeing with his guest, historian Jill Lepore, that Michelle could have won the Democratic nomination after President Joe Biden stepped aside.
