Former First Lady Michelle Obama has decided not to attend President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration, citing deep personal disdain for the outgoing president and a history of offensive comments directed at her family. According to a source quoted by India Today, Obama chose to opt out because she "doesn’t want to fake a smile" at the event, adding that she isn’t one to "pretend for protocol’s sake."
The decision breaks with a 150-year-old tradition where former presidents and their spouses typically participate in the swearing-in of their successors. Michelle's husband, former President Barack Obama, is expected to attend the ceremony, which is scheduled for January 20.
Michelle Obama’s absence follows her decision not to attend the state funeral of former President Jimmy Carter last week, where Barack Obama was seen alongside Trump, a moment that went viral. CNN reported that her absence was due to a scheduling conflict, as she was on an "extended vacation" in Hawaii at the time.
Her decision to skip Trump's inauguration has sparked online reactions ranging from conservative criticism about breaking tradition to baseless rumors of marital discord between the Obamas. However, sources cited by India Today dismissed such speculations, reiterating that Michelle Obama’s decision stems from her strong feelings about Trump.
"There’s no overstating her feelings about [Trump]. She’s not one to plaster on a pleasant face and pretend for protocol’s sake," the source told India Today.
Michelle Obama’s disdain for Trump has been widely documented. In her 2018 memoir Becoming, she criticized Trump for propagating the false birther conspiracy, claiming that Barack Obama wasn’t born in the United States, which she said put her family’s safety at risk. "For this, I’d never forgive him," she wrote.
During a podcast appearance in 2023, she also expressed disappointment in the lack of diversity during Trump’s first inauguration, stating that it didn’t reflect "the broader sense of America."
The former First Lady has largely stepped back from public life since her time in the White House. The India Today source added that she prefers to focus on her own projects and causes rather than maintaining a public presence: "You’ll see her when she has a project or cause to promote, but she doesn’t feel the need to be a public figure anymore."
Michelle Obama isn’t the only high-profile Democrat skipping the inauguration. Other prominent figures, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, have also announced their absence.
Trump himself had broken tradition in 2021 when he refused to attend President Joe Biden’s inauguration, citing unproven claims of election fraud and lingering tensions over the January 6 Capitol riots.
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