The inauguration is on Monday. Monday is also a federal holiday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day. We’ll have some stories, but I’m mostly going to spend the day avoiding everything related to Donald Trump. I will not be alone – I suspect millions of Americans will simply tune out the inauguration and everything that will happen in the next four years. Michelle Obama’s office announced this week that she will be one of the Americans ignoring all things Trump. MO will not attend the inauguration and she’s reportedly still in Hawaii, on an extended vacation. She also skipped Jimmy Carter’s funeral, likely because protocol would have had her seated next to the Trumps. There were rumors that Michelle was skipping the inauguration for other reasons, but sources told People Magazine that her decision was solely about her disgust for Donald Trump. Now “sources” close to MAGA World are telling Page Six that they couldn’t care less about MO’s snub.
MAGA sources could not care less that Michelle Obama is snubbing Donald Trump’s inauguration, a source tells Page Six.
“They are having a good laugh,” a source says of those involved in planning the inaugural festivities. “They didn’t expect her to come anyway.”
A Democratic source tried to play down the diss, noting, “Donald Trump and Melania didn’t go to Joe Biden’s inauguration and nobody cared. No one said anything.”
Barack and Michelle Obamas’ office announced this week that Michelle will skip the 60th Inaugural Ceremonies on Jan. 20th, but that the former president will attend. Michelle also skipped Jimmy Carter’s funeral on Jan. 9 because she was on an “extended vacation” in Hawaii. She would have apparently been seated next to Trump.
One Republican source speculated, “It’s obvious that this was her way of protesting Trump. She hates him.”
Michelle attended Trump’s inaugural in 2017, and said of the experience on “The Light Podcast,” “To sit on that stage and watch the opposite of what we represented on display — there was no diversity, there was no color on that stage. There was no reflection of the broader sense of America.”
A source told Page Six previously that Michelle’s choice to not attend the inauguration is “deliberate.”
“She’s never been fake and she’s never been phony. She’s always been very deliberate about where and how she shows up,” the source said. “She showed up reluctantly for the election. They were united, but she doesn’t have to unify around [Trump]. She doesn’t have to say anything. Her absence speaks volumes.”
As I said before, I admire Michelle for opting out of this entire sh-tshow. She’s doing the same thing as many Black women have done post-election: walked away, protected their peace, and refused to engage with any of it. What I find most interesting though is that Michelle is really making a point to do this in public in advance of the inauguration. Her refusal to attend has become one of the biggest pre-inaugural stories. There were other options for her, you know? She could have announced her absence at the last minute, or she could have just said nothing and not shown up on Monday. Michelle wanted the public conversation, she’s inviting people to talk about it. My guess? She knew she would annoy the hell out of the Trumpers, because SHE is the conversation and not that guy. Which is why MAGAland is “hahaha, we don’t care” as they cry bitter tears.
Photos courtesy of Cover Images.
