Savannah Chrisley Says Now Isn’t the Time to Launch Her Previously Mentioned Congressional Bid: ‘Just Got My Life Back’ 

Savannah Chrisley is putting her political dreams on hold — at least for now.

The daughter of Todd Chrisley and Julie Chrisley has previously talked about how helping get her parents pardoned by President Donald Trump and released from prison made her think about a future in politics.

On her Unlocked with Savannah Chrisley podcast, she shared a moment that gave her a taste of what being a politician might feel like. She described holding a press conference in the prison parking lot before her father’s release.

“There were at least 100 cars there, and people were just handing me their babies. Like, literally, I had 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. I literally felt like Princess Diana in that moment.”

She added, “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, ‘Maybe my future’s going to look different than what I had originally thought. Maybe I am going to get involved in politics.’”

Speaking to PEOPLE just weeks later, Savannah — who just turned 28 — said she isn’t planning to run for office right away. The 2026 midterms would have required her to start campaigning immediately.

“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,” she said while promoting The Chrisleys: Back to Reality with 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 continued. “I’m rebuilding and figuring out who I am and what I want out of life.”

That doesn’t mean Savannah — who spoke at the 2024 Republican National Convention on her parents’ behalf — is giving up on public service.

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

She also pointed out there will be more opportunities in the future.

“Marsha Blackburn is going to run for governor [of Tennessee] and she will win,” Savannah predicted. “So, who knows what happens to that Senate seat? I just say, 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 started serving their sentences in January 2023, which opened Savannah’s 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 her parents 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 people, especially young adults, has been overwhelming,” she said on her podcast.

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

Savannah, who has called herself “MAGA Barbie,” said she was surprised at how warmly she’s been welcomed into politics.

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

The Chrisley family’s behind-the-scenes story of the past few years will be shown 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 the finale on Sept. 16.