Amanda Gorman ‘Absolutely’ Plans To Run For President In 2036: ‘Why Not Me?’

by Gee NY

Amanda Gorman, the celebrated poet who captivated the nation at President Joe Biden’s 2021 inauguration, has confirmed that she “absolutely” intends to run for president in 2036—the first year she’ll be eligible under the U.S. Constitution.

Appearing on NBC’s Meet the Press this past Sunday (July 6), the 27-year-old poet and activist discussed her long-standing sense of civic duty, which she says began in childhood.

“I was finding out about [sex trafficking] and I was just overwhelmed with the amount of policy that was not in place,” Gorman told host Kristen Welker, recalling how she became politically aware at just 11 years old. “Then I kind of looked around and I said, ‘Why not me? Why not now? Why not here?’”

Gorman made history in 2021 when, at just 22, she became the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history. Her poem The Hill We Climb—delivered with poise and urgency—struck a cultural nerve with lines like “We are a nation that is not broken but simply unfinished.”

In the years since, Gorman has grown into a bold advocate for equity, literacy, and youth empowerment. Her activism has expanded to speaking out against racial injustice and censorship, including a notable moment in 2023 when her poem was banned at a Florida school.

The ban, instigated by a parent who deemed the work “not educational” and accused it of containing “indirect hate speech,” was met with national backlash.

“It felt like a gut punch,” Gorman said, addressing the ban. “But it reminded me how powerful words can be—and how afraid some people are of truth.”

Now, with her new book Girls on the Rise, Gorman continues to use her voice to uplift young women and promote community-driven leadership.

“It’s about what it means to be a young person in a generation that is going to—and is currently—changing the world,” she said.

While her presidential aspirations may still be more than a decade away, Gorman’s declaration is already galvanizing a generation.

“We need more young people who see leadership not just as power, but as service,” she said. “And I plan to be one of them.”

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