Former First Lady Michelle Obama is not one to fake joy for someone who she considers a threat to American democracy.
That is why Michelle Obama is not attending the upcoming inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, a source told People.
“There’s no overstating her feelings about [Trump]. She’s not one to plaster on a pleasant face and pretend for protocol’s sake,” per the source. “Michelle doesn’t do anything because it’s expected or it’s protocol or it’s tradition.”
It also doesn’t help that Trump has a history of attacking her family, including her husband, former President Barack Obama.
“She served in the public eye and did all the public good that she could for eight years as first lady,” the source said. “You’ll see her when she has a project or cause to promote but she doesn’t feel the need to be a public figure anymore.”
Michelle Obama announced earlier this week that she would not be attending the inauguration, IJR previously reported.
That announcement came on the heels of Michelle Obama not attending the funeral for former President Jimmy Carter due to a scheduling conflict.
While funerals and inaugurations are a time to honor those who have served or will serve as president. That, however, was not the case when Trump did not attend President Joe Biden’s inauguration in 2021.
That was the first time since 1869 a president did not attend their successor’s swearing-in ceremony.
Michelle Obama also lost her mother in 2024, making the recent holidays the first without her.
“It’s been an emotional time for her,” the source says. “The holidays were always a time for family in Hawaii.”
