Nancy Pelosi Plans To Skip Trump's Inauguration & No One Seems Surprised

In American politics, a symbolic gesture can speak volumes. As former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's spokesperson confirmed to ABC News, she will not be attending President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration, which is a clear reversal from 2017, when she attended Trump's inauguration in his first term and led the Democrats during that time. While Pelosi's team has not given an official reason for her absence, it is no secret that Pelosi has clashed on more than one occasion with Trump. Trump, for his part, has repeatedly attacked Pelosi in his speeches and used derogatory terms to refer to her during his rallies.

While Pelosi and Trump's relationship has always been tense, and she has frequently been the target of Republican criticism as a result, the situation came to a head when Trump supporters stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021, with the ultimate goal of trying to delay the counting of electoral votes, as Pelosi was one of the clear targets of some of the rioters during the assault. In an interview on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," Pelosi accused Trump of inciting violence even after the attack on the Capitol. "He called on these people to continue their violence, my husband is a victim of all of that," she said, referring to the fact that Paul Pelosi still suffers from a head injury after a man broke into their San Francisco home and beat him with a hammer in October 2022.

Nancy Pelosi is in good company, as others, like Michelle Obama, are also skipping the inauguration. This proves she isn't changing her mind about Trump anytime soon, because as The Hill reports, Michelle was one of the most vocal critics of Trump during the campaign. "Michelle Obama expressed everything she felt during the campaign," said a close ally. According to another aide, by not attending Trump's inauguration, she is "preserving her credibility."

Taking a cue from Obama and Pelosi, according to Washington Examiner, seven Democrats, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, have decided not to attend Trump's inauguration. The reasons for not attending are diverse, from conflicts over the celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day to opposition to the incoming president, so they will avoid having to witness some of the more than likely cringe dance moves that will be seen during the inauguration.

Also, as reported by NBC News, while former presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush will attend Trump's inauguration, they will not attend President-elect Trump's traditional inaugural luncheon. Obama received an invitation but decided not to attend. Similarly, Clinton was also invited but does not plan to attend. As for Bush, his office stated that he had no record of having received an invitation to the event. Former Secretary of State and First Lady Hillary Clinton was also invited to the inaugural luncheon, but will not be attending either.