Former Presidents Obama, Bush, and Clinton to Attend Trump Inauguration, Michelle Obama Will Not Attend

Former Presidents Obama, Bush, and Clinton to Attend Trump Inauguration, Michelle Obama Will Not Attend

West Palm Beach, Florida: Former First Lady Michelle Obama will not attend the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, marking the second time in two weeks that she will not participate in a gathering of former U.S. leaders and their spouses. However, former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton will be present at the swearing-in ceremony.

Laura Bush and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will join their husbands for the January 20th ceremony at the Capitol, representatives confirmed.

"Former President Barack Obama is confirmed to attend the 60th Inaugural Ceremonies. Former First Lady Michelle Obama will not attend the upcoming inauguration," a statement from the Office of Barack and Michelle Obama shared with the Associated Press said.

No explanation was provided as to why Michelle Obama is skipping Trump’s inauguration. She also did not attend former President Jimmy Carter's state funeral last week. Former Presidents Trump, Obama, Bush, and Clinton, along with their spouses, were present at the funeral, except for Michelle Obama.

Bill Clinton is confirmed to attend the inauguration, according to a source familiar with the former president's schedule. Hillary Clinton will also attend, a spokesperson confirmed. The Office of George W. Bush stated that he and former First Lady Laura Bush will also attend.

Michelle Obama was the only spouse absent at last week's state funeral for former President Jimmy Carter at Washington National Cathedral, where her husband and Trump were seated next to each other, chatting and laughing despite the political animosity between the former Democratic president and the returning Republican.

Michelle Obama campaigned against Trump in the 2016, 2020, and 2024 presidential elections. In her 2018 memoir, she expressed her shock at learning that Trump would succeed her husband and denounced Trump's "birther" campaign that questioned Barack Obama's citizenship.

Last fall, Michelle Obama campaigned for Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, delivering an emotional speech in Michigan where she challenged men to vote for the vice president, arguing that women's lives would be at risk if Trump returned to the White House.

In 2017, all three former presidents and their wives attended Trump’s first inauguration, including Hillary Clinton, who had lost the 2016 presidential election to Trump.