Former first lady Michelle Obama will not attend the inauguration ceremony of President-elect Donald Trump, marking the second time this month that she will be absent from a recent gathering of former U.S. leaders and their spouses. Former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton have said they would attend, along with former first ladies Laura Bush and Hillary Clinton, who was also Secretary of State.
“Former President Barack Obama is confirmed to attend the 60th Inaugural Ceremonies. Former first lady Michelle Obama will not attend the upcoming inauguration,” said a statement from the Office of Barack and Michelle Obama.
Michelle Obama was also absent from last week’s funeral service for former President Jimmy Carter, where her husband and Trump were seated next to each other and appeared to enjoy each other’s company despite their political animosity. The public feud between the two presidents began in 2011, when Trump questioned Obama’s U.S. citizenship and claimed that he was actually born in Kenya.
The former first lady recalled in her 2018 memoir how she was shocked and offended by the so-called “birther” campaign, and along with her husband campaigned against Trump in the 2016, 2020 and 2024 presidential elections. In the latest election, Michelle Obama warned that women’s lives would be at risk under a second Trump presidency.
No explanation was given for her absence at either the Carter funeral or Trump’s inauguration.
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