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Former first lady Michelle Obama will not be attending incoming President Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony on January 20, 2025. The same was confirmed to PEOPLE by a spokesperson for the Obamas on Tuesday, January 14, 2025. A statement from the Office of Barack and Michelle Obama mentioned:
"Former President Barack Obama is confirmed to attend the 60th Inaugural Ceremonies. Former First Lady Michelle Obama will not attend the upcoming inauguration."
No explanation for her absence had, however, been revealed by the Office. The news about Michelle's absence made it to the headlines after the former first lady missed Jimmy Carter's funeral ceremony. The news has garnered reactions from netizens. A user (@Sammy8558) wrote on X:
"Was she invited?"
Some netizens said no one cares and that Michelle will not be missed.
"Who cares there will be plenty of attendance," another user tweeted.
"She knows she’s over as is her political partner," added a tweet.
"You will not be missed!" wrote another netizen.
While many mocked Michelle, others supported her decision to miss the event.
"Good for her. Protect her peace away from the sh*t storm," a netizen tweeted.
"I applaud her boundaries and. Keeping her own peace. We are all talking about that lately?? This is what it looks like 🥳🥳🥳," read a tweet.
"Good job Michelle ❤️👏🏿," applauded a user.
While Michele Obama's absence had been confirmed, former President George W. Bush and Laura Bush will be there, as mentioned by his Office.
Michelle Obama previously talked about her reaction after Trump's 2017 inauguration
While it has been confirmed that Michelle Obama will not be a part of the upcoming presidential inauguration, she had previously shared about her emotional state after Trump's January 2017 inauguration ceremony. In March 2023, Michelle appeared on The Light Podcast, opening up about the same.
During the conversation, the former first lady said that she got extremely emotional when she was on her last flight with Barack Obama on the presidential plane. Michelle said:
"When those doors shut, I cried for 30 minutes straight, uncontrollable sobbing, because that’s how much we were holding it together for eight years."
She then added:
"After the inauguration – and we know whose inauguration we were at – that day was so emotional on so many different reasons. We were leaving the home we had been in for eight years, the only home our kids really knew."
Michelle Obama then further talked about her children, Malia and Sasha, who were 15 and 18 years old, respectively, when they left the White House. Further on the podcast, Michelle shared that the kids had spent more time in the White House than in Chicago. She also revealed that they expressed gratitude and said goodbye to all the staff who helped raise the children.
Incoming President Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony is scheduled at 12 pm ET on January 20, 2025. Chief Justice John Roberts will administer Trump with the oath of justice, following which his second term will start.
Since the swearing-in ceremony is a public event, a huge number of people are expected to gather at the National Mall in Washington, DC, to witness it on large video screens. Several major news outlets, such as ABC, NBC, and CNN, will be broadcasting the event.
