In these unprecedented times, Michelle Obama is done with decorum. The former first lady made headlines earlier this week after announcing she wouldn’t attend Trump’s inauguration, and she’s not afraid to spell out exactly why.
On Tuesday, Mrs. Obama confirmed that she would not stand alongside her husband Barack at the inauguration. The reason was easy enough to guess, given that the Obamas both campaigned vigorously throughout the 2024 election cycle against Trump and the danger he represents. But on Thursday, a source from the Obama office explained her exact reasoning to People.
“There’s no overstating her feelings about [Trump],” the source said. “She’s not one to plaster on a pleasant face and pretend for protocol’s sake. Michelle doesn’t do anything because it’s expected or it’s protocol or it’s tradition.”
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There’s likely to be much hand-wringing about civility over this decision, but it’s important to note that Trump also refused to attend Biden’s inauguration in 2021. Before then, former presidents had always attended their successors’ inaugurations, a tradition going all the way back to 1869.
The source went onto specify that Trump’s repeated attacks on the Obama family and repeated racist comments also informed Mrs. Obama’s decision. If she attended the inauguration, the source said, she would be put into the position of stomaching her feelings and demonstrating fake cordiality for the camera.
Last week, she was also a notable no-show at former president Jimmy Carter’s funeral, where she would have been seated next to Trump. Her office explained this as a scheduling conflict, as she was in Hawaii on vacation—the first such vacation since the death of her mother last year.
The source suggested that since her mother would always join the Obamas in Hawaii, her absence this year may have led Mrs. Obama to prioritize her own self-care. “It’s been an emotional time for her,” the source said. “The holidays were always a time for family in Hawaii.”
These days, Mrs. Obama feels that she has done her time in the spotlight, utilizing her public platform for the betterment of society. Now she’s looking forward to life as a private citizen.
“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.”
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