Only a few days after former President Barack Obama and President-elect Donald Trump enjoyed what appeared to be a friendly moment at the funeral of former President Jimmy Carter, former first lady Michelle Obama says she is keeping her distance from them both.
“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, according to CNN.
Michelle Obama attended Trump’s 2017 inauguration and later said it failed to meet her standards.
“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 in 2023.
🔥🚨BREAKING NEWS: Michelle Obama has announced that she will be skipping Donald Trump’s inauguration after skipping Jimmy Carter’s funeral to allegedly avoid Trump.
Her spokesperson declined to provide a reason for the snub.
‘Former President Barack Obama is confirmed to… pic.twitter.com/d5sKbl63aT
— Dom Lucre | Breaker of Narratives (@dom_lucre) January 14, 2025
The statement that was released also included comments from both Obamas that were released after Trump won the election.
“This is obviously not the outcome we had hoped for, given our profound disagreements with the Republican ticket on a whole host of issues. 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,” the post-election statement said.
We just keep winning. https://t.co/5tLUzTNjqg
— Catturd ™ (@catturd2) January 14, 2025
“In a country as big and diverse as ours, we won’t always see eye-to-eye on everything. But progress requires us to extend good faith and grace – even to people with whom we deeply disagree. That’s how we’ve come this far, and it’s how we’ll keep building a country that is more fair and more just, more equal and more free,” the Obamas’ post-election statement said.
“Former first lady Michelle Obama will not attend Donald Trump’s inauguration”
Literally no one cares. pic.twitter.com/SCrGfZW738
— Douglas Ritz (@douglasritz) January 14, 2025
Michelle Obama also skipped Carter’s funeral last week.
Former President George W. Bush and former first lady Laura Bush have said they will attend Trump’s Monday inauguration. CNN is also reporting that former President Bill Clinton and former first lady Hillary Clinton will also attend. It is customary for former presidents and their spouses to attend an inauguration.
Last week, during Carter’s funeral, Trump and Barack Obama were seen smiling together at one point.
“I didn’t realize how friendly it looked. I saw it on your wonderful network, just a little while ago before I came in, and I said, ‘Boy, they look like two people that like each other,’” Trump said later. “And we probably do.”
“We have a little different philosophies,” Trump said. “I don’t know, we just got along.”
Kamala Harris looks back at Trump, who is talking with Obama … ( Carter funeral ) pic.twitter.com/fnC3BqKmRO
— Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) January 9, 2025
During the interaction, the video showed Vice President Kamala Harris with a look of disapproval on her face.
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