By Katherine Tinsley
2:22pm PST, Jan 17, 2025
The Obamas haven't confirmed why Michelle will skip Trump's big day, but a source claimed the attorney isn't interested in hiding her feelings toward the Republican politician.
"There's no overstating her feelings about [Trump]. She's not one to plaster on a pleasant face and pretend for protocol's sake," a source told People. "Michelle doesn't do anything because it's expected or it's protocol or it's tradition."
"She served in the public eye and did all the public good that she could for eight years as first lady," the source noted, referring to the mom-of-two fulfilling her official duties in 2017. "You'll see her when she has a project or cause to promote but she doesn't feel the need to be a public figure anymore."
Kid Rock
Kid Rock has conservative views, but he still attended Barack's swearing-in.
"I would kindly remind [Michelle] that years back when Obama was first elected I did not vote for him but they asked me to play the inauguration," the country singer, who attended the historical event in 2009, stated.
"I played it, I went, I had a good time," he continued. "
I went out of respect to the presidency, I would kindly remind Miss Michelle about that."
Kevin O'Leary
Michelle wouldn't be the only first lady to miss out on an inauguration, as Donald and
Melania Trump weren't at
Joe Biden's 2021 ceremony. Despite the pair's history of breaking protocol, some celebrities were still critical of the Princeton alum.
"This tradition has gone on for over a hundred years. This is what presidents do — and their wives — on inauguration day,"
Kevin O'Leary told Fox News.
However, the "shark" added that it was "wrong" for Donald to opt out of attending President Biden's coronation.
"This is the holiest day of politics. It is the transition of power. You have to respect it," he stated about Michelle while avoiding mentioning Donald's refusal to concede in 2020. "I don't like what she's doing here. I'm against it. I think it's wrong."
The tension between the Obamas and Trumps has existed for several years, as the real estate tycoon fueled conspiracy theories about the former U.S. senator's citizenship status throughout Barack's time in the Oval Office. However, the two politicians were seated beside each other at Jimmy Carter's funeral.
"I didn't realize how friendly it looked," Donald said at Mar-a-Lago.
"I said, 'Boy, they look like two people that like each other.' And we probably do," he continued. "We have a little different philosophies, right? But we probably do. I don't know. We just got along. But I got along with just about everybody."
