Michelle Obama's Latest Move Proves She Isn't Changing Her Mind About Trump Anytime Soon

Michelle Obama isn't making any time in her busy schedule to fly out to Washington D.C. for Donald Trump's inauguration. The former first lady's office confirmed to CBS News that she will not be accompanying her husband, former President Barack Obama, to the ceremony on Monday, January 20. While no official explanation was provided by her office, many are seeing it as a clear message from Michelle regarding the president-elect and his divisive policies.

Michelle — who has repeatedly shot down speculation regarding her own desire to run for president in the future — previously lived in the White House for eight years as her husband served as commander-in-chief, and attended Trump's first inaugural event in 2017, when he became president for the first of his non-consecutive terms. However, Michelle has not been shy about expressing her disappointment and disdain for that experience.

The former first lady addressed Trump's first inauguration during an episode of her series, "The Light Podcast," in 2023, when she admitted that she wept for a half-hour after sitting through the bleak ceremony. "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," she shared at the time. "Many people took pictures of me and they're like, 'You weren't in a good mood.' No, I was not."

Before it was confirmed that Michelle Obama won't be attending the upcoming inauguration, the former first lady also decided to sit things out when it came to attending the funeral of former president Jimmy Carter – who died on December 29, 2004, at age 100. While Barack Obama was seated alongside Donald Trump at the event, Michelle was notably absent from the proceedings, which followed Trump's decisive election night victory in November.

Several other former first ladies attended Carter's memorial service, including Hilary Clinton — who lost the presidential election to Trump in 2016 — and Laura Bush. President Joe Biden also attended alongside First Lady Jill Biden, and delivered a eulogy for the late world leader. George W. Bush and wife Laura will also be attending Trump's inauguration, making Michelle's absence all the more glaring. It should be noted, however, that Trump himself broke a number of long-held traditions when he refused to attend Biden's inauguration in January 2021.

After Trump handily beat out Vice President Kamala Harris to win back the White House, Barack and Michelle wrote an open letter addressing the results, and made it clear how disappointed they were. "This is obviously not the outcome we had hoped for, given our profound disagreements with the Republican ticket on a whole host of issues," the couple wrote (via Politico). "But living in a democracy is about recognizing that our point of view won't always win out, and being willing to accept the peaceful transfer of power."