washington
CNN
—
Former first lady Michelle Obama will not attend President Donald Trump’s inauguration next week, her office announced Tuesday, without providing an explanation for her decision.
“It has been confirmed that former President Barack Obama will attend the 60th Inauguration Ceremony. Former First Lady Michelle Obama will not be attending the upcoming Inauguration Ceremony,” the office of President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama said. said the statement.
President Trump’s decision not to attend the formal swearing-in ceremony is a break with the tradition of ceremonies typically attended by former presidents and their wives. Former President George W. Bush and Laura Bush will attend the inauguration, the president’s office announced, and sources told CNN that former Presidents Bill and Hillary Clinton will also attend.
Michelle Obama also did not attend the memorial service for former President Jimmy Carter last week, instead remaining in Hawaii. Former President Barack Obama attended the service at the National Cathedral in Washington, where he sat next to President Trump and had a lively conversation as the program progressed.
Other former first ladies attended Carter’s event, including Hillary Clinton and Laura Bush.
Michelle Obama has openly expressed her hostility towards President Trump. They accused President Trump of putting his family’s safety at risk because of his comments.
In 2017, after Trump won his first presidential election, she put those personal feelings aside and welcomed the president-elect and Melania Trump to the White House for tea ahead of that year’s swearing-in ceremony. .
Over the next few years, she spoke about her experience sitting on stage at President Trump’s inauguration.
“There were tears, there were emotions. But then we got to sit on that stage and see the opposite of what we were on display. There was diversity and color on that stage. It didn’t reflect the broader meaning of America,” she said in a 2023 podcast. .
The Trumps did not attend the 2021 inauguration amid President-elect Joe Biden’s false claims that he won the 2020 election.
CNN’s Jamie Gangel contributed to this report.
