It looks like former President Barack Obama will have to witness Donald Trump’s swearing-in without his wife by his side.
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Just a few days after Michelle Obama made headlines for missing Jimmy Carter’s state funeral, she confirmed that she will also be skipping Donald Trump’s upcoming inauguration. A spokesperson for the former first couple confirmed Obama’s absence to PEOPLE on Tuesday, Jan. 14.
Confirmation that the former first lady will miss Trump’s swearing-in comes days after Michelle missed Jimmy Carter’s state funeral, where she would have been seated next to the President-elect. At the time, CNN’s Jeff Zeleny reported that the Becoming author was “still in Hawaii on an extended holiday vacation” during the funeral, with her advisers crediting the absence to a scheduling conflict.
The swearing-in ceremony, which will take place on Jan. 20, will be the second for Trump, who previously won the 2016 presidential election against former first lady and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Presidential inaugurations are typically attended by former presidents and their families, with the Obamas both in attendance for Trump’s January 2017 inauguration. Outgoing Vice President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden, Hillary Clinton and former President Bill Clinton, former President George W. Bush and former President Jimmy Carter were also in attendance.
Trump did not attend the January 2021 inauguration of President Joe Biden after being defeated in 2020, making him the first outgoing president in more than 150 years to skip the ceremony. While it’s not clear why Michelle Obama won’t be in attendance this time around, it could have something to do with Trump’s refusal to attend Biden’s swearing-in ceremony.
