Former First Lady Michelle Obama has always been a woman who led by example and let her actions do the talking. And her latest move is no different. Mrs. Obama will not be attending President-Elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20th.
According to a statement released from the office of Barack and Michelle Obama, the former president will be in attendance for the ceremony but his wife will not be joining him. Former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton will also be attending with their wives; Barbara Bush and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
No specific reason was given on why she will not be attending. However the move has unintentionally added her in the 92% club, the percentage of Black women who voted in the majority for Vice President Kamala Harris in the recent presidential election. After Donald Trump was declared the president-elect, many Black women were dismayed and betrayed. The emotions ignited a movement on social media among Black women, prompting them to reevaluate their roles within a government that seemed indifferent to their concerns. In response, many vowed to step back and prioritize their own well-being.
Life coach and psychotherapist Asha Tarry says Obama’s decision to not attend the inauguration is a measure of deep self-care and possible authenticity, while also standing firm on her boundaries.
“Former First Lady has previously said in other interviews that being in the spotlight as a first lady is exhausting,” says Tarry. “You’re constantly under a microscope and critiqued for every decision you make. Not being in that position gives her the flexibility to act on her own accord.”
Tarry added, “I see her position to not attend the inauguration as a sign of agency and embodiment- the acceptance and embrace that she has choices, she can decide what is best for her true self, and that that is an act of radical self-care.”
Social media wave
Media personality Reecie Colbert shared a TikTok video captioning it, “‘Im so here for Black women (aka the 92%) reclaiming their time and not taking anybody’s sh*t!”
On Threads, many Black women praised and supported Obama for prioritizing her mental.
One user wrote, ” Michelle Obama’s PEACE is non negotiable, and the circus ? does not deserve her effortless and flawless energy.”
Another wrote, “Michelle Obama pulling out of Inauguration is the most 92percent ish ever. It’s a full-on movement, in case anyone was confused.”
Over the years, Mrs. Obama has been an unapologetic critic against Trump. “I hope you’ll forgive me if I’m a little frustrated that some of us are choosing to ignore Donald Trump’s gross incompetence while asking Kamala to dazzle us at every turn,” she spoke to a crowd during a rallying campaign for Vice President Kamala Harris back in October. ” I hope that you’ll forgive me if I’m a little angry that we are indifferent to his erratic behavior his obvious mental decline his history as a convicted felon, a known slum, Lord a predator found liable for sexual abuse. All of this while we pick apart Kamla’s answers from interviews that he doesn’t even have the courage to do.”
She continued, “Y’all please do not hand our fates over to the likes of Trump who knows nothing about us, who has shown deep contempt for us because a vote for him is a vote against us.”
And during a podcast interview with Hoda Kotb, the former First Lady spoke about what it was like to be in the audience as Trump was sworn in for his first inauguration in 2017.
“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,” she said. “There was no reflection of the broader sense of America. Many people took pictures of me and they’re like, you weren’t in a good mood. No, I was not.”
Shortly after Obama’s annoucement, Vice President Harris announced she will not be inviting Vice President-Elect J.D Vance and his wife.
