The List Of Democratic Figures Ditching Trump Inauguration Continues To Grow

Most notably, former First Lady Michelle Obama has announced that she will not be in attendance.

Ahead of Trump’s ascension to the presidency for his second term, these public figures have declared that they are formally ditching the inauguration.

Trump will officially assume office during his inauguration on Jan. 20, with the event taking place on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Typically, most political figures in the country and beyond attend a presidential inauguration, including past presidents and their first ladies. However, some Democratic figures have decided to forego tradition by hitting decline on their rsvp.

Most notably, former First Lady Michelle Obama has announced that she will not be in attendance. Mrs. Obama’s office confirmed the news on Jan. 14. However, they declined to share a reason for her impending absence.

“Former President Barack Obama is confirmed to attend the 60th Inaugural Ceremonies. Former first lady Michelle Obama will not attend the upcoming inauguration,” said a statement from the Office of Barack and Michelle Obama.

According to People, the former first lady refused to fake her feelings toward Trump. A source says she remains unwilling to engage with him regardless of protocol.

“There’s no overstating her feelings about [Trump]. She’s not one to plaster on a pleasant face and pretend for protocol’s sake,” the source says. “Michelle doesn’t do anything because it’s expected or it’s protocol or it’s tradition.”

Furthermore, Obama missed out on late President Jimmy Carter’s funeral due to a reported scheduling conflict. Her husband, on the other hand, was present at the service, sitting right next to President-elect Trump. The two engaged in what many presumed to be a friendly conversation, leading Trump to comment that they appeared to like one another.

Obama will also attend the inauguration with other former heads of state. However, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has also decided to opt out the event. Pelosi’s move remains unsurprising given her tension with Trump, who called her a “crooked person” during his campaign last year.

Joining her will be multiple congress members, including Reps. Jasmine Crockett and Ilhan Omar. Rep. Steve Cohen listed Trump’s intentions to pardon some Jan. 6. prisoners at the inauguration as the reason for skipping out.

“[Trump] has said he is going to pardon some of the January 6 prisoners at his inauguration, and as one who was in the gallery and then locked in my office in the early morning as the insurrectionists tried to overthrow our government and beat police, some to the point of death, I cannot be a part of that spectacle,” Cohen told Axios.

While these U.S. politicians will miss the occasion, President Biden will attend. The move sharply differs from Trump, who chose to not attend Biden’s inauguration in 2021.