The former First Lady, Michelle Obama, might not be attending the inauguration of Donald J. Trump, the President-elect. The statement was issued on Tuesday by her office. “Former President Barack Obama is confirmed to attend the 60th Inaugural Ceremonies,” said the statement. “Former First Lady Michelle Obama will not attend the upcoming inauguration.”
However, the statement does not explain why Michelle Obama will be skipping the inauguration. Traditionally, the inauguration is supposed to be attended by former presidents and their spouses. But this isn’t the first high-profile event that Mrs. Obama will be skipping. In the past, she has declined to take part in events that would have brought Obama face-to-face with Trump.
Michelle Obama will skip Donald Trump’s inauguration, without providing a reason for her decision. Her husband and all other former first ladies will attend. https://t.co/F2cTovK5ag
— CNN (@CNN) January 14, 2025
Mrs. Obama, on innumerable occasions, has expressed personal disdain for the 78-year-old president. The feud became evident when Trump pushed the lie that Barack Obama was not a U.S. citizen. In fact, Trump, who has a history of making sexist and racist statements, has received criticism from Michelle Obama. During her speech at the Democratic National Convention in August, she said, “For years, Donald Trump did everything in his power to try to make people fear us.”
She further adds, “See, his limited, narrow view of the world made him feel threatened by the existence of two hard-working, highly educated, successful people who happen to be Black.” Last week, Michelle Obama also missed the funeral of Jimmy Carter. The event was attended by every other former president and first lady, but Mrs. Obama did not accompany her husband.
The absence of Mrs. Obama from Carter’s funeral gave rise to a conflict. It was also discussed that as per the protocol, Michelle Obama would have been seated next to Donald Trump, which is said to be a reason she skipped the event. However, Obama, who sat beside Trump, was seen engaging in a conversation during the ceremony.
Michelle and Barack Obama have served as surrogates for Kamala Harris on several campaign trails. However, shortly after the election, they issued a statement congratulating Donald Trump on his victory.
Michelle Obama skipped Jimmy Carter’s funeral due to a “scheduling conflict” and is still in Hawaii from an “extended holiday vacation.” Trump broke her pic.twitter.com/apienLZwOx
— MAGA Elvis 🇺🇸 (@BenStanton77) January 9, 2025
The statement said, “This is obviously not the outcome we had hoped for, given our profound disagreements with the Republican ticket on a whole host of issues. But living in a democracy is about recognizing that our point of view won’t always win out, and being willing to accept the peaceful transfer of power.”
Mrs. Obama isn’t the first to dodge the tradition of former first families attending the inauguration of the president. Previously, Donald Trump and his wife, First Lady Melania Trump, skipped attending the inauguration of President Biden in 2021. This happened after Trump falsely claimed that the election was apparently stolen from him.