Michelle Obama is protecting her peace by not attending Trump’s inauguration. We should follow her lead by not tuning in, either.
The nation's first Black first lady has a penchant for keeping it real, and none of us should behave as if the twice-impeached felon is just another president.
I can only fake a smile for so long. After a while, my face gets stiff, and I might as well stop because I’m not fooling anyone.
Apparently, the same may be true for Michelle Obama, who has opted out of attending Monday’s presidential inauguration.
The nation’s first Black first lady hasn’t spoken publicly about her decision not to attend the festivities, which happen to fall on the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday. But given the long history President-elect Donald Trump has of making racist and sexist statements, as well as his predilection for negative remarks about former President Barack Obama, we can all guess as to why she won’t be there.
Michelle Obama has done more than enough for this country. It surely would have been difficult for her, no doubt, to endure the forced cordiality, and watch as Trump placed his hand on a Bible — on the steps of the U.S. Capitol his followers defiled on Jan. 6, 2021, in a violent attempt to stop the electoral vote certification.
She will forever be my favorite first lady, in part for her penchant for keeping it real, as the saying goes. We aren’t living in normal times. We do a disservice to the country and our nation’s democracy when we behave as if this is just another president moving into 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. when Trump is a twice-impeached, convicted criminal.
During a speech before the Democratic National Convention, she said of Trump’s first term in office: “Why would we normalize that type of backward leadership? Doing so only demeans and cheapens our politics.”
We aren’t living in normal times.
Meanwhile, the uproar about her decision not to attend the presidential inauguration is ironic, considering how Trump, along with former first lady Melania Trump, skipped President Joe Biden’s inauguration, rather than attend and admit he had lost the 2020 presidential election. His absence marked the first time in 150 years an outgoing president boycotted his successor’s inauguration.
As for Michelle Obama, she remains a trendsetter. Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi also has decided not to go to Monday’s festivities. And although former Presidents Obama, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush have agreed to attend the swearing-in ceremony, they will not be at the traditional post-inauguration lunch.
Last time around, after listening to Trump’s inauguration speech, Bush reportedly was overheard saying, “That was some weird shit.”
I can’t imagine what it’s going to be like this time around after his being open about wanting to be a dictator, if only for a day, and wanting to get back at his political enemies, among other things.
There is no word as to what Michelle Obama actually will do Monday, besides enjoy the federal holiday and do whatever else she needs to protect her peace. That’s something we all should focus on as we brace ourselves for what’s to come.