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.
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- USA/Australia/Canada Rights Only – Washington, USA – 1/20/17 President Donald Trump delivers his inaugural address at the inauguration in Washington, D.C. Trump became the 45th President of the United States. -PICTURED: Michelle Obama, Jill Biden -PHOTO by: Pool/ABACA USA/INSTARimages.com -INSTAR_Donald_Trump_Inauguration_3341816105.JPG Editorial Rights Managed Image – Please contact www.INSTARimages.com for licensing fee and rights: North America Inquiries: email sales@instarimages.com or call 212.414.0207 – UK Inquiries: email ben@instarimages.com or call + 7715 698 715 – Australia Inquiries: email sarah@instarimages.com.au Êor call +02 9660 0500 Ð for any other Country, please email sales@instarimages.com. ÊImage or video may not be published in any way that is or might be deemed defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene / Please consult our sales department for any clarification or question you may have – http://www.INSTARimages.com reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this image or video. If you are in violation of our intellectual property you may be liable for actual damages, loss of income, and profits you derive from the use of this image or video, and where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or statutory damage. Featuring: Michelle Obama, Jill Biden Where: Washington, D.C., United States When: 20 Jan 2017 Credit: Pool/ABACA USA/INSTARimages.com **USA/Australia/Canada Rights Only**
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- USA/Australia/Canada Rights Only – Washington, USA – 1/20/17 President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump escort outside the Capitol former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama. -PICTURED: Melania Trump, Donald Trump, Barack Obama, Michelle Obama -PHOTO by: Lionel Hahn/ABACA USA/INSTARimages.com -INSTAR_Donald_Trump_Inauguration_3341816085.JPG Editorial Rights Managed Image – Please contact www.INSTARimages.com for licensing fee and rights: North America Inquiries: email sales@instarimages.com or call 212.414.0207 – UK Inquiries: email ben@instarimages.com or call + 7715 698 715 – Australia Inquiries: email sarah@instarimages.com.au Êor call +02 9660 0500 Ð for any other Country, please email sales@instarimages.com. ÊImage or video may not be published in any way that is or might be deemed defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene / Please consult our sales department for any clarification or question you may have – http://www.INSTARimages.com reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this image or video. If you are in violation of our intellectual property you may be liable for actual damages, loss of income, and profits you derive from the use of this image or video, and where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or statutory damage. Featuring: Melania Trump, Donald Trump, Barack Obama, Michelle Obama Where: Washington, D.C., United States When: 20 Jan 2017 Credit: Lionel Hahn/ABACA USA/INSTARimages.com **USA/Australia/Canada Rights Only**
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- USA/Australia/Canada Rights Only – Washington, USA – 1/20/17 President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump escort outside the Capitol former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama. -PICTURED: Melania Trump, Donald Trump, Barack Obama, Michelle Obama -PHOTO by: Lionel Hahn/ABACA USA/INSTARimages.com -INSTAR_Donald_Trump_Inauguration_3341816083.JPG Editorial Rights Managed Image – Please contact www.INSTARimages.com for licensing fee and rights: North America Inquiries: email sales@instarimages.com or call 212.414.0207 – UK Inquiries: email ben@instarimages.com or call + 7715 698 715 – Australia Inquiries: email sarah@instarimages.com.au Êor call +02 9660 0500 Ð for any other Country, please email sales@instarimages.com. ÊImage or video may not be published in any way that is or might be deemed defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene / Please consult our sales department for any clarification or question you may have – http://www.INSTARimages.com reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this image or video. If you are in violation of our intellectual property you may be liable for actual damages, loss of income, and profits you derive from the use of this image or video, and where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or statutory damage. Featuring: Melania Trump, Donald Trump, Barack Obama, Michelle Obama Where: Washington, D.C., United States When: 20 Jan 2017 Credit: Lionel Hahn/ABACA USA/INSTARimages.com **USA/Australia/Canada Rights Only**
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- -Washington, District of Columbia – 1/20/17-Donald Trump Inaugural Festivities In Washington, D.C. -PICTURED: Melania Trump, Donald Trump, Barack Obama, Michelle Obama -PHOTO by: CNP/Pool/Startraksphoto.com -Startraks_Trump_Inaugural_Festivities_Washington_1141500001935 Editorial – Rights Managed Image – Please contact www.startraksphoto.com for licensing fee Startraks Photo New York, NY For licensing please call 212-414-9464 or email sales@startraksphoto.com Image may not be published in any way that is or might be deemed defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene. Please consult our sales department for any clarification or question you may have. Startraks Photo reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this image. If you violate our intellectual property you may be liable for actual damages, loss of income, and profits you derive from the use of this image, and where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or statutory damages. Featuring: Melania Trump, Donald Trump, Barack Obama, Michelle Obama Where: Washington, District of Columbia, United States When: 20 Jan 2017 Credit: CNP/Pool/Startraksphoto.com
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- USA/Australia/Canada Rights Only – Washington, USA – 1/20/17-58th Presidential Inauguration In Washington, D.C. -PICTURED: Barack Obama and Michelle Obama -PHOTO by: Lionel Hahn/INSTARimages.com -INSTAR_Donald Trump_Inuguration_DC_10462478.JPG Editorial Rights Managed Image – Please contact www.INSTARimages.com for licensing fee email sales@instarimages.com or call 212.414.0207 – Image or video may not be published in any way that is or might be deemed defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene / Please consult our sales department for any clarification or question you may have – http://www.INSTARimages.com reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this image or video. If you are in violation of our intellectual property you may be liable for actual damages, loss of income, and profits you derive from the use of this image or video, and where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or statutory damage. Featuring: Barack Obama and Michelle Obama Where: Washington, District Of Columbia, United States When: 20 Jan 2017 Credit: Lionel Hahn/INSTARimages.com **USA/Australia/Canada Rights Only**
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- Former First Lady Michelle Obama delivers remarks at the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois, USA, at the United Center Featuring: Former First Lady Michelle Obama Where: Chicago, Illinois, United States When: 20 Aug 2024 Credit: CNP/INSTARimages
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- Former First Lady Michelle Obama delivers remarks at the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois, USA, at the United Center Featuring: Former First Lady Michelle Obama Where: Chicago, Illinois, United States When: 20 Aug 2024 Credit: CNP/INSTARimages
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- Get out and Vote Rally at Norristown Highschool Featuring: Michelle Obama Where: Norristown, pennsylvania, United States When: 02 Nov 2024 Credit: William Wade/INSTARimages
Michelle knows what up, and I concur. All of social media is reinforcing this. 92% of us turned out and America let us know what they think of Black women. I for one want everything MAGA says they want. Department of Ed, mass deportations, more tax cuts? Sure. My momma always said, “Don’t ever let it be said I don’t give you what you want.” Have at it MAGA. When thing get dicey, don’t be asking me for a political contribution or donation of time. Let the world burn. America has shown what they think of us. My mother is a child of segregation. I will survive. I have the tools. Does MAGA?
+1
All of this. My parents, while scared for me, are also mentally prepared to return to the bad days. They know how to survive what’s to come. They just hoped they’d never have to again. So have at it MAGA. Destroy America. We’ll be waiting on the sidelines when the harsh reality doesn’t match up with their fevered dreams.
As for Michelle Obama, she’s through being polite and accepting of this crap. MAGA most definitely cares. They want the first Black FLOTUS to have to show respect and kumbaya. They want to humiliate her and demean her and call her a man. Michelle said never again. She’s protecting her peace.
Tomorrow is the People’s March, organized by the Women’s March. In Washington, DC and locations all over the country.
https://action.womensmarch.com/events/dcpeoplesmarch
Where a bunch of WW who voted for Trump will march? I wonder if some of them even see their own hypocrisy. I am like the OP and MO. I am out and they can do whatever they want! it is my country, yes but most people showed us whom they are on Nov 5th. I heard them!
Another reactionary march that will accomplish little. Where were these concerned citizens last year? The agenda for this gathering – which is conveniently separated into three groups so participants can make their allegiance known – is “joyful resistance, community building, and powerful action”.
Joyful resistance. I’m out.
@vs
what a bizarre take. You’re entitled to your feelings and nobody is forcing you to go, but the women who do go have NOT voted for Trump.
Signed,
a “WW” who marched in 2017.
It’s like I wrote this myself. 100% this.
@Nicole… BRAVO and +2
It’s an absolute crime that dottering old scuzzbucket will be sworn in as president on MLK day. As a Canadian, I am watching America like you watch a bear at the edge of the road and worrying about family who live there. And as much as I wish his voters get just what they asked for, I feel bad about how many minorities and young women will be killed or abused in the process when they did nothing to deserve it. Gah! THE WORST TIMELINE!
We are all Michelle Obama.
HARD agree.
They care enough to make it known they don’t care. I remember this move from high school dating.
Exactly! Michelle Obama is doing the right thing. She doesn’t need to have anything to do with a criminal felon being sworn in again. If his adherents truly didn’t care, we’d hear zilch about this.
They stole it directly from the BRF playbook 🙂
I was thinking the exact same thing. “We don’t care, so we’re going to go on every talk show and every platform and talk about how much we don’t care! Waaaahhh!”
Such hypocrites…..
They are both using the same playbook: “Preserve the Institutions of White Supremacy 101”
I’m going to the movies on Monday, then my daughters swim meet then home to watch the College Football Championship game. The End.
We have tickets for the 12 PM showing of Colman Domingo’s Sing Sing
I’m hitting the pool for some laps then going to the beach for a cleanup, then I’m going to sit & watch the waves, get a garlic shrimp plate for dinner & call it a day.
If they don’t care, then why is Kid Rock crying more tears than a lil bitty baby about her not coming to the inauguration?
i love how she is handling this. She’s just not going. I think someone only clarified the issue to People when rumors starting circulating that it was about her marriage or health. She probably thought her absence would be clearly taken as being against Trump but enough (white) people (well presumably white) were like “well maybe she’s getting a divorce!!!!”
yes because that makes more sense than the fact that she just doesnt want to normalize him, doesn’t want to do anything that might be seen as bending the knee or kissing the ring, and she is going to protect her mental health and stay home. I hope she’s still in Hawaii and is enjoying the sun and beach.
And MAGA 100% cares. They wanted images of her with Trump. They know how popular she is. They know her star power. And instead Michelle said NOPE.
As long as Magaland understands that Michelle Obama hates Trump et al…I have no problem with this.😕
#IAmMichelleObama
Michelle Obama is the voice of reality – none of this is f-cking normal. Where is she going for the next 4 years? Can I go with her, please?
I think Monday will be a good day for me to finally start reading at least one of Michelle Obama’s books. Has anyone read her “Overcoming “ Workbook? I’m thinking something with exercises might be a good — and empowering— place to start.
I’ve been not-really-joking that I plan to spend Monday hiding under the bed. I’m still looking for options that will en-courage me to celebrate what’s left of my beloved Chocolate City and the communities that created it — without getting on the Metro, which might be overrun with celebrating MAGA tourists. This is hard. I’m afraid. I find it terrifying to realize that I might have been part of a generational blip — that was lucky enough to believe that the ideals of our Constitution might actually be fully realized.
The weather forecast for Monday is predicting bitter cold, with remnants of snow. I will be thinking of precedents set by William Henry Harrison, and Peace-ing out to the best of my ability. I’m glad that this site will be active on Monday — for those of us who might need to connect and commiserate together.
Former Presidents Bush, Obama and Clinton are trump’s Inauguration lunch.
Skipping the lunch, you mean.
The 4th grader in me hopes that the 3 of them have already planned to meet up for lunch together somewhere nice. I REALLY miss B. Smith’s! The private dining room would have been perfect! I think it was the former presidential waiting room in DC’s Union Station. But maybe they’d rather do beer and burgers….
I, for one, would never be able to keep down my lunch in the presence of Diaper Don so I understand this decision completely.
Well, I wouldn’t want to go to a lunch that served cold McDonalds either.
No doubt Felon 47 chose the menu so you know it’s going to be cholesterol heavy, whatever it is. Both Clinton and Bush are cardiac patients. Imagine dying because of Trump’s inaugural lunch.
Wish the media spent the same time and energy talking about how the 🍊💩 did not attend Biden’s inauguration.
Me thinks MAGA doth protest too much. They care. Otherwise, why bother whining to Page Six?
Nobody said anything about the Trumps not going to Joe Biden’s inauguration because we didn’t give an eff he didn’t come. In fact no one wanted him to come. He was such a sore loser about the whole thing and incited an insurrection. We were ecstatic to see him fly away by helicopter away from DC forever, or so we thought at the time. Michelle Obama is the complete opposite of Trump in every single way. I keep hoping he’ll not finish his presidency. I won’t voice my real thoughts in this comment but we all know what I’m referring to. He’s in such poor physical shape, I don’t get how the man is still standing.
I’d love to be on same beach as Michelle, far, far away from DC. Instead, I’ll be celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Nothing else of import is happening that day as far as I’m concerned.
Michelle is a queen.
This was the push I needed to resume my mediation practice and really get serious about my self-care. I’ll be spending Monday taking my dog for long walks and taking my camera out to practice my photography, maybe make a great dinner and give myself a facial.
I feel her so much. I’m getting on a flight to leave the US & avoid everything Orange. For a week anyway. Wish I could afford to leave for much longer. But alas…
Um nooo, the MAGAts are actually big mad about her not going. Kid Rock was on something this morning talking about how she is “disrespecting the office of the President” or something like that and I wish I wish I WISH the anchor would have said “wow, you must have been SO offended when Donnie and Melanie BOTH skipped the Biden inauguration and ran away to Florida!”
Magaland may not care (sure they don’t!) but we do. Thanks, Michelle, for not going and for saying why you aren’t going. You continue to be a role model.
If they don’t care, why are they whining about it all over Twitter?
I hope Michelle has a lovely day doing whatever she wants
They’re also whining about Nancy Pelosi not attending because an 80+ woman recovering from a broken hip must pay homage to their orange excrement heap.
My plan for MLK day: go to my dental appointment at 8, and if it’s not too cold, hike on a trail in the hills around Reno. Maybe go for a drive up to Tahoe and observe the skiers. Commune with nature, think about MLK and watch videos about his story. Have a good meal with my young adult son.
Stop giving these magats attention please.
Of course they wouldn’t. 🙄 She is the only one showing TRUE character here. I would peace out from that dumpster fire too, if I was a former leader. 🤷 Don’t legitimize the SOB. 🤬
I can’t even hate watch it but my dream is that Kendrick, Beyonce, and/or Taylor do something that pulls focus. That guy hates hates hates being ignored or having low ratings. There’s a good chance that the oligarchs will be the talk of the town, maybe Trump’s hair will try to make a break for it, or his “teeth” stop cooperating and he has that slurring again.
I very much doubt that any of the women going on the upcoming march voted for trump. Assigning collective responsibility to a group for the actions of some of their number has a long and unhappy history. Including fairly recently the allegation that all Irish people supported terrorists because…well some of them did. It is revolting and baffling that white women voted for trump. It is equally so that so many people who voted for Biden didn’t vote at all and that 47% of Hispanic men voted for trump. I can do the right thing but I have no control over other people’s actions.
Cope harder.