[Former First Lady Michelle Obama Will Not Attend Trump’s Inauguration
Former President Barack Obama is confirmed to attend the 60th Inaugural Ceremonies, but his wife, former First Lady Michelle Obama, will not be in attendance, according to a statement from the Office of Barack and Michelle Obama. The reason for her absence was not specified.
This marks a break with tradition, as former presidents and their wives typically participate in the ceremony. Other former first ladies, including Hillary Clinton and Laura Bush, are expected to attend. Former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, along with their wives, will also be present.
Michelle Obama has been critical of Donald Trump in the past, accusing him of putting her family’s safety in danger through his rhetoric. However, in 2017, she welcomed Trump to the White House for tea ahead of his first inauguration.
After Trump’s first inauguration, Michelle Obama spoke about the experience, saying it was emotional and unsettling to see the opposite of what they 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 in a 2023 podcast.
The Trumps did not attend President Joe Biden’s inauguration in 2021, amid controversy over Trump’s claims that he won the 2020 election.
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