The inauguration was the second gathering of U.S. presidents and their spouses that Michelle Obama has missed in latest weeks.
WASHINGTON — Former first girl Michelle Obama skipped President Donald Trump’s inauguration, the second high-profile gathering of U.S. presidents and their spouses she has missed this month.
Her husband, former President Barack Obama, went with out her, alongside former Presidents Invoice Clinton and George W. Bush. Former first girls Hillary Clinton and Laura Bush have been additionally on the inauguration.
“Former President Barack Obama is confirmed to attend the sixtieth Inaugural Ceremonies. Former first girl Michelle Obama won’t attend the upcoming inauguration,” mentioned a press release final week from the Workplace of Barack and Michelle Obama that was shared with The Related Press.
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Past that assertion, no particular rationalization was given for why Michelle Obama skipped Trump’s inauguration.
The previous first girl was additionally notably absent from the funeral of Jimmy Carter, which drew collectively a gathering of all of the residing U.S. presidents and their spouses apart from her.
Forward of the funeral, CNN reported that the previous first girl had a scheduling battle and remained in Hawaii, the place she had been on an “prolonged trip.”
Additionally notably, whereas former Vice President Mike Pence attended Trump’s inauguration, his spouse, former second girl Karen, didn’t. Karen Pence snubbed the Trumps earlier this month at Carter’s funeral, the place she ignored Melania Trump’s efforts to shake her hand.
All three former presidents and their wives attended Trump’s first inauguration in 2017, together with Hillary Clinton, after she misplaced the 2016 presidential election to Trump. Carter additionally attended.
However Trump and his spouse Melania skipped the 2021 inauguration of President Joe Biden, which occurred two weeks after a mob of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol in an try to forestall the certification of election outcomes confirming Biden’s defeat of Trump within the 2020 election.
Trump was the primary to skip his successor’s inauguration in additional than 150 years.
Trump has refused to concede that he misplaced that election, as an alternative repeatedly claiming all through Biden’s time period in workplace that it had been rigged in opposition to him.