Michelle Obama announced she will not be in attendance at Donald Trump’s second presidential inauguration, CNN reports.
In an official statement, the Obamas confirmed that the former First Lady will not be at the swearing-in ceremony.
“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.
Obama’s decision not to attend Trump’s inauguration is seen as a break of tradition Throughout history, former presidents and their wives usually show up for the ceremony. Former President George W. Bush and Laura Bush, former President Bill Clinton, and Hillary Clinton are all slated to be at the inauguration.
When it was time for President Joe Biden to be inaugurated, Trump famously was a no-show.
The announcement follows Michelle being noticeably absent from former President Jimmy Carter’s state funeral. According to the seating chart, she would have been seated next to Trump.
CNN’s Jeff Zeleny reported that Michelle was “still in Hawaii on an extended holiday vacation” during the funeral.
Michelle has not been quiet about her disdain for Trump. During an episode of her“The Light Podcast,” she explained how she felt following his inauguration.
“When those doors shut, I cried for 30 minutes straight, uncontrollable sobbing. Because that’s how much we were holding it together for eight years,” Michelle said.
“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,” she added.” “There was no color on that stage, there was no reflection of the broader sense of America,” she said.