Former First Lady, Michelle Obama, has opted out of Donald Trump’s Second Inauguration.
“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 that was shared with The Associated Press.
Honestly, it is no surprise.
Michelle strongly campaigned against Trump during his 2016, 2020 and 2024 presidential campaigns. In her 2018 memoir, she described her shock upon learning that Trump would succeed her husband, and she denounced Trump’s “birther” campaign, which questioned Barack Obama’s citizenship. Trump and his trolls have also been unrelenting in their harassment of Michelle making disparaging remarks about her appearance and sex.
While the right has admonished Michelle’s decision, the left has embraced her decision and called out Trump for skipping President Biden’s inauguration in 2021.
However, Michelle won’t be the only one absent on Jan. 20. The following politicians to date have also opted out of Trump’s Inauguration:
- Rep. Judy Chu, California
- Rep. Delia Ramirez, Illinois
- Rep. Bonnie Coleman, New Jersey
- Rep. Adam Smith, Washington
- Rep. Deborah Ross, North Carolina
- Rep. Donald Beyer, Virginia
- Rep. Steve Cohen, Tennessee
- Rep. Kweisi Mfume, Maryland “After having spent 15 years back in the ’80s and ’70s trying to get [MLK Day] to become a national holiday, I, every year, engage in service out of my respect to Dr. King. I work at Our Daily Bread in Baltimore, we feed people there, and I meet with vets every year and I participate in the MLK Day parade. So I won’t be going.”
- Rep. Jasmine Crockett, Texas “I don’t think that this is a time for celebration. I think that if we had a traditional Republican where there were disagreements, then, yeah, I would most likely be there, I would feel more obligated to be there, especially as a sitting member of Congress. But considering this is also Martin Luther King Day, it just seems like the worst way to spend the day knowing that I would be celebrating someone who really is going to work very hard to tear down the legacy in which literally he lived and died for.”
- Rep. Sean Casten, Illinois
- Rep. Ilhan Omar, Minnesota
- Re. Lateefah Simon, California
- Rep. Veronica Escobar, Texas “I was trapped in the gallery on January 6. That’s why.”
- Rep. Ayanna Pressley, Massachusetts “I’ll be in town with my constituents honoring Dr. King’s legacy. I don’t think being there does that.”
