Former First Lady Michelle Obama will not attend Donald Trump‘s inauguration next week, although former President Barack Obama will be there along with his living predecessors.
“Former President Barack Obama is confirmed to attend the 60th Inaugural Ceremonies. Former First Lady Michelle Obama will not attend the upcoming inauguration,” the office of the former president and first lady said in a statement. No explanation was given.
Michelle Obama also did not attend the state funeral last week of Jimmy Carter. Her husband did attend, and cameras captured him and Trump sharing laughter at certain moments.
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Bill and Hillary Clinton also will attend the swearing in ceremony, as will George and Laura Bush, the Associated Press reported.
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President Joe Biden said that he will attend the inauguration, even though Trump skipped his swearing in ceremony in 2021. Trump made false claims that the 2020 presidential election was rigged against him, leading to an attack on the Capitol on January 6.
Michelle Obama campaigned for Kamala Harris in the final weeks before the election, and was a signature speaker at the Democratic National Convention.
In a statement after last year’s election, Barack Obama said, “This is obviously not the outcome we had hoped for, given our profound disagreements with the Republican ticket on a whole host of issues. But living in a democracy is about recognizing that our point of view won’t always win out, and being willing to accept the peaceful transfer of power.”