Former First Lady Michelle Obama has issued a statement announcing that she will be skipping President-elect Trump’s inauguration next week.
“Former President Barack Obama is confirmed to attend the 60th Inaugural Ceremonies. Former First Lady Michelle Obama will not attend the upcoming inauguration,” the statement from the Office of Barack and Michelle Obama reads.
Skipping Trump’s inauguration detracts from the tradition of former presidents and their spouses attending the ceremony. According to his office, George W. Bush and Laura Bush confirmed they would be there, and sources close to the Clintons told CNN that Bill and Hillary Clinton would also attend.
“This is obviously not the outcome we had hoped for, given our profound disagreements with the Republican ticket on a whole host of issues,” the statement continued. “In a country as big and diverse as ours, we won’t always see eye-to-eye on everything. But progress requires us to extend good faith and grace – even to people with whom we deeply disagree.”
The announcement comes from her marked absence at former President Jimmy Carter’s funeral in Washington, D.C., last week.
Former president Barack Obama attended the ceremony but faced some backlash after he was seen politely chatting and laughing with the president-elect.
“How could Barack Obama, the man who faced vicious, racist conspiracies for years because of Trump, act so buddy-buddy with him,” journalist Don Lemon said on his YouTube channel.
Karen Pence is the wife of former Vice President Mike Pence, was praised for her total snub of the Trumps, who attended to shake hands with her at the funeral.
“Your behavior around the man will matter. It does matter. You can’t allow Karen Pence to present as a more steadfast defender of democracy, a more courageous critic of Trump, than yourselves,” Lemon added.
Michelle Obama has been open about her disdain for the incoming commander-in-chief; in her speech at the Democratic National Convention in August 2024, she pulled no punches.
“Unfortunately, we know what comes next. We know folks are going to do everything they can to distort her truth,” the best-selling author stated. “My husband and I, sadly, know a little something about this. For years, Donald Trump did everything in his power to try to make people fear us. His limited and narrow view of the world made him feel threatened by the existence of two hardworking, highly educated, successful people who also happened to be Black.”
Trump responded by calling the former First Lady “nasty” during a rally in Atlanta, Georgia.
