Savannah Chrisley Says Now Isn’t the Time to Launch Her Congressional Bid: Exclusive

Savannah Chrisley is putting her political ambitions on hold — for now.

The daughter of Todd Chrisley and Julie Chrisley previously shared how pushing to get her parents pardoned by President Donald Trump and released from prison made her consider a future in politics.

She explained on her Unlocked with Savannah Chrisley podcast that one moment in particular — when she held a press conference in the prison parking lot ahead of her father’s release — gave her an exciting taste of how it might feel to be a politician.

“There was, like, a 100 cars at least there, and people were just handing me their babies. Like, literally, I had, like, a naked baby in my arms,” she said on the Aug. 5 episode of Unlocked. “There was this little girl that kept wanting to hold my hand and stand with me. And I literally felt like Princess Diana in that moment.”

She continued: “When I was standing outside the prison doing that press conference and seeing all the people who came up to me and hugged me and spoke to me, it really made me take a step back and say, like, ‘Maybe my future’s gonna look different than what I had originally thought. Maybe I am gonna get involved in politics.’ ”

Speaking to PEOPLE just weeks later, though, Savannah — who just turned 28 — clarifies that she isn’t trying to run for office as soon as the 2026 midterms, which would require her to quickly hit the campaign trail.

“I had a meeting at the White House about potentially taking over a House seat in Tennessee, and I just knew that right now wasn’t the time,” the reality TV star says while promoting The Chrisleys: Back to Reality alongside her parents.

“I didn’t feel in my heart and soul that I could make the impact that I truly wanted to make because I just got my life back,” she continues. “I’m rebuilding and figuring out who I am and what I want out of life.”

That doesn’t mean that the reality star — who gave a speech on her parents’ behalf at the 2024 Republican National Convention — is giving up on public service.

“I feel like you can implement just as much change on the outside with a very large platform and voice than you can on the inside,” she tells PEOPLE. “So, who knows?”

Plus, she points out, there will be more opportunities and open seats in the future.

“Marsha Blackburn is going to run for governor [of Tennessee] and she will win,” Savannah predicts. “So, who knows what happens to that Senate seat? I just say, like this whole pardon process, everything happens for a reason. Every relationship you make, every hand you shake.”

Todd and Julie were convicted of tax evasion, wire fraud and conspiracy to commit bank fraud in June 2022. They began serving their respective sentences in January 2023, which opened their daughters eyes to “how broken the system was.”

“Now I see all the broken things in the system where individuals have to be rehabilitated, where we need mental health treatment for these individuals, as well as giving them job opportunities and advocating for them when it comes to that,” she said on ABC News Studios’ IMPACT x Nightline special The Chrisleys: Life After Lockup in June.

Advocating for a pardon from President Trump, and celebrating the release of Todd, 57, and Julie, 52, on May 28, gave Savannah a platform in conservative political circles.

“Since getting Mom and Dad home, I’ve been speaking at some political conferences and seeing the outpouring of love and support from individuals and especially young adults has been overwhelming,” she said on her podcast. “The amount of young adults that have shown up in the political arena is astonishing to me.”

She continued, “I mean, when I was in high school or early college years, I didn’t care about politics. I didn’t understand the importance of it until my family was affected by politics and the federal government, and I started educating myself and I realized how important it is to be involved, know what you’re voting for, vote for the right candidate, all these different things.” 

Savannah, who has referred to herself as “MAGA Barbie,” also said she was surprised at how warmly she’s been welcomed into the political arena. 

“It’s just been so interesting to see how accepted I’ve been in these rooms and how supported, and I’m absolutely loving it,” she added.

The Chrisley family’s behind-the-scenes journey through the turbulent past few years will be uncovered in The Chrisleys: Back to Reality, which premieres as a two-night event Sept. 1 and Sept. 2 at 8 p.m. ET on Lifetime, with a finale dropping on Sept. 16.