Washington
CNN
—
Former first lady Michelle Obama will not attend Donald Trump’s inauguration next week, her office announced Tuesday, without providing an explanation for her decision.
“Former President Barack Obama is confirmed to attend the 60th inaugural ceremonies. Former First Lady Michelle Obama will not attend the upcoming inauguration,” Barack and Michelle Obama’s office said in a statement.
The decision to forgo attending Trump’s official swearing-in represents a break with the tradition of the ceremony, which is typically attended by former presidents and their spouses. Former President George W. Bush and Laura Bush will attend the inauguration, his office said, and close sources told CNN that former Presidents Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton will also attend.
Michelle Obama was also not present last week at a memorial service for former President Jimmy Carter, remaining in Hawaii. Former President Barack Obama attended the service at the Washington National Cathedral, sitting next to Trump and engaging in lively conversation with him as the program got underway.
Other former first ladies, including Hillary Clinton and Laura Bush, both attended the Carter event.
Michelle Obama has openly spoken about her animosity toward Trump, whom she accuses of endangering her family’s safety through his speech.
In 2017, she put those personal feelings aside after Trump won his first presidential election, welcoming the new president and Melania Trump to the White House for tea before that year’s swearing-in.
In the years since, she has spoken about the experience of sitting on stage at Trump’s inauguration.
“There were tears, there was this emotion. But then to sit on that stage and look at the opposite of what we represented – there was no diversity, there was no color on that stage, there was no reflection of meaning broader of America,” she said in a podcast in 2023.
CNN’s Jamie Gangel contributed to this report.
