Michelle Obama’s confirmed decision to skip Donald Trump’s second inauguration has left Trump supporters fuming, reigniting debates over respect for political traditions. The former First Lady’s choice isn’t without reason—and it’s got everything to do with how she feels about Trump.
As sources close to Michelle revealed, her feelings about the former president aren’t exactly a secret. “There’s no overstating her feelings about [Trump]. She’s not one to plaster on a pleasant face and pretend for protocol’s sake,” a source told People. “Michelle doesn’t do anything because it’s expected or it’s tradition. She would be expected to swallow her feelings in the spotlight if she attended his second inauguration.”
Kevin O’Leary on Michelle Obama missing inauguration.
“This tradition has gone on for over 100 years… You have to respect it. I don’t like what she’s doing here. I’m against it. I think it’s wrong.”
Anyone tell him the tradition ended 4 years ago?
— Brian Krassenstein (@krassenstein) January 17, 2025
This isn’t the first time Michelle Obama has been vocal about her distaste for Trump. Recalling her experience at his first inauguration, she shared on The Light Podcast that sitting through the event was deeply uncomfortable. “To sit on that stage and watch the opposite of what we represented on display—there was no diversity, no color on that stage. There was no reflection of the broader sense of America,” she explained.
“She seems a little angry.” Kid Rock slams Michelle Obama for skipping Trump’s inauguration.
Where was he when his buddy Trump skipped Biden’s inauguration, the first president in 152 years to skip his successor’s swearing-in? pic.twitter.com/cZTVbzydee
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) January 17, 2025
Critics of Michelle’s decision have pointed fingers, calling it disrespectful to the institution of the presidency. Figures like Kevin O’Leary and Kid Rock have aired their disapproval on conservative networks, lamenting what they see as a snub to tradition. But the hypocrisy of such critiques isn’t lost on anyone who remembers Trump himself skipping Biden’s inauguration in 2021, breaking a tradition that had been observed since 1869.
Trump’s absence from Biden’s inauguration wasn’t his only departure from tradition. Melania Trump also declined Dr. Jill Biden’s invitation for the customary tea meeting between outgoing and incoming First Ladies. And yet, Michelle, who isn’t even bound by any formal role in government, is now under fire for her personal decision.
Barack Obama, however, plans to attend Trump’s inauguration, alongside other former presidents and their spouses. Whether he’ll share another lighthearted moment with Trump, like the one captured at Jimmy Carter’s funeral, remains to be seen. Michelle, on the other hand, is content with letting her actions speak for her feelings, a stance that clearly hasn’t gone unnoticed.
