Reports Say Michelle Obama Will Not Attend Trump Inauguration
Former first lady Michelle Obama’s decision to skip President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration next week is making headlines, with sources close to her suggesting the move is a deliberate stand against a leader she has openly criticized. Reports indicate that Obama has no intention of concealing her disdain for Trump, a sentiment she made clear during her public appearances and speeches over the years.
According to People Magazine, a source close to Michelle Obama said, “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 added that her decision not to attend stems from her commitment to authenticity. “Michelle doesn't do anything because it's expected or it's protocol or it's tradition,” they noted.
The former first lady was present at Trump’s 2017 inauguration as part of her duty to ensure a peaceful transition of power during her husband’s presidency. However, her absence this time signals a break from tradition.
Allies of Michelle Obama described her choice as a deliberate act of resistance. “She meant every word she said on the campaign trail with every fiber of her being,” one ally told The Hill. “And she’s no hypocrite.” Another insider speculated that the move was also a strategic decision to maintain her credibility.
This is not the first high-profile event Michelle Obama has opted to miss in recent weeks. She was notably absent from former President Jimmy Carter’s funeral, where her husband, former President Barack Obama, was seated alongside Trump and other past presidents.
Advisers cited a “scheduling conflict,” explaining that the former first lady was on an extended vacation in Hawaii. However, her absences from both Carter’s funeral and Trump’s inauguration have raised questions about how she balances public appearances with her personal principles.
While Michelle Obama is skipping the inauguration, Barack Obama will attend alongside other former presidents, including Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, and their spouses. This continuity of presidential tradition underscores the former first lady’s personal choice to step away from the public spotlight at such events, a shift she has hinted at in recent years. As a source explained, “She served in the public eye and did all the public good that she could for eight years as first lady… she doesn’t feel the need to be a public figure anymore.”
Michelle Obama’s history with Trump has been marked by sharp criticism. On the campaign trail and during the 2020 Democratic National Convention, she accused him of spreading “racist lies” and undermining her husband’s presidency. Her absence from the inauguration, therefore, reflects her refusal to overlook these grievances for the sake of ceremony.
Interestingly, Melania Trump weighed in on the topic of transitions, noting that her own move into the White House in 2017 was made unnecessarily difficult. Speaking to Fox & Friends co-host Ainsley Earhardt, the former first lady said, “We didn’t have much of the information. The information was upheld from us from the previous administration.” She contrasted that experience with her current preparations, saying, “This time I have everything. I could move in… So it’s a very different transition this time, second time around.”