Michelle Obama to Skip Trump’s Inauguration, Breaking Tradition

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Former First Lady Michelle Obama will not attend the upcoming inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, her office confirmed Tuesday, marking a break from tradition for the ceremonial event.

“Former President Barack Obama is confirmed to attend the 60th Inaugural Ceremonies. Former First Lady Michelle Obama will not attend the upcoming inauguration,” a statement from the Office of Barack and Michelle Obama said. No explanation was provided for her absence.

The decision contrasts with the attendance of other former presidents and their spouses. Former President George W. Bush and Laura Bush will attend, as will former President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, according to sources familiar with the plans.

Michelle Obama also missed a memorial service last week for former President Jimmy Carter, remaining in Hawaii while Barack Obama attended the event in Washington, D.C. During the service, Barack Obama was seen sitting next to Trump and engaging in animated conversation.

Michelle Obama has been vocal about her strained relationship with Trump, accusing him of endangering her family’s safety through his rhetoric. Despite these tensions, she welcomed Trump and Melania Trump to the White House for tea ahead of his 2017 inauguration, setting aside personal feelings for the sake of tradition.

Reflecting on the 2017 inauguration during a 2023 podcast, Michelle Obama described the emotional toll of the event. “There were tears, there was that emotion. But then to sit on that stage and watch the opposite of what we represented on display – there was no diversity, there was no color on that stage, there was no reflection of the broader sense of America,” she said.

Trump, for his part, did not attend President Joe Biden’s inauguration in 2021, continuing to promote false claims about the 2020 election results. Biden, however, has confirmed his attendance at Trump’s upcoming inauguration, stating, “Of course I am. The only president ever to avoid an inauguration is the guy that’s about to be inaugurated.”

The absence of Michelle Obama underscores the deep political and personal divides that have characterized recent U.S. presidential transitions.