First Lady Michelle Obama takes question from children during the annual Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day at the White House in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday. Obama offered praise for the last Democrat to serve as first lady, Hillary Clinton, but said she would not seek to follow her path and run for office. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo

First lady Michelle Obama speaks to children during the annual Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day at the White House in Washington on Wednesday. During the event, the first lady was asked about Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton, calling her "impressive" and "phenomenal." Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo

WASHINGTON, April 20 (UPI) -- First lady Michelle Obama offered effusive praise for Hillary Clinton, her husband's former rival-turned-secretary of state during a White House event on Wednesday.

Obama was asked about Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton by a 14-year-old during the White House event marking Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day. Obama called Clinton "impressive" and "phenomenal."


"I think Hillary Clinton is a phenomenal woman, and I've gotten to know her, and I think she's made some pretty major contributions over the course of her life," the first lady said.

Obama said, however, she had no plans to follow Clinton's path and seek the presidency for herself someday.

"Hillary Clinton is an impressive woman and I will not do what she has done, I will not run for president," Obama said.

President Barack Obama has gone to great lengths to preserve his neutrality in the Democratic presidential primary between Clinton and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. Michelle Obama did not go so far as to endorse Clinton in her remarks, only offering praise for the Democrat preceding her as first lady.

Most of the questions from the children in attendance centered on the first lady's noted emphasis on healthy living. Her "Let's Move" campaign has sought to get children to exercise more and eat healthier foods to combat childhood obesity.

"I want to be, I've said this before, I want to be like a 90-year-old lady that's really fly, you know?"