Mrs. Obama also declined to attend the funeral of Jimmy Carter last week, which would have put her face-to-face with Mr. Trump.
Michelle Obama to Skip Trump’s Inauguration, Office Confirms”
Former First Lady Michelle Obama will not attend the inauguration of President-elect Donald J. Trump, her office announced in a statement on Tuesday.
“Former President Barack Obama is confirmed to attend the 60th Inaugural Ceremonies,” the statement read. “Former First Lady Michelle Obama will not attend the upcoming inauguration.”
While no specific reason was provided for Mrs. Obama’s decision to forgo the event, which typically sees former presidents and their spouses in attendance, it marks the second notable occasion within two weeks where she has chosen not to engage in an event that could have involved direct interaction with Mr. Trump.
Mrs. Obama has been open about her disdain for Mr. Trump, who previously promoted the false claim that her husband, Barack Obama, was not a U.S. citizen. She has also criticized his history of racially and sexually charged remarks.
During her speech at the Democratic National Convention in August, Michelle Obama reflected on Donald Trump’s history of inciting fear.
“For years, Donald Trump did everything in his power to try to make people fear us,” she said. “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, Mrs. Obama did not accompany her husband to the funeral of former President Jimmy Carter, an event attended by every other living former president and first lady. While her absence was officially attributed to a scheduling conflict, it was notable given protocol would have placed her next to Mr. Trump, who exchanged words with Barack Obama during the ceremony.
Despite their political differences, the Obamas acknowledged the election outcome in a statement following Mr. Trump’s victory.
“This is obviously not the outcome we had hoped for, given our profound disagreements with the Republican ticket on a whole host of issues,” they said. “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 is not the first to buck the tradition of former first families attending an inauguration. Mr. Trump and the former first lady, Melania Trump, did not attend President Biden’s inauguration in 2021, after Mr. Trump falsely claimed that the election was stolen from him.
