The former first lady did not attend a state funeral for former President Jimmy Carter this month.
Former first lady Michelle Obama will not attend President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremony in Washington on Jan. 20, and former President Barack Obama will attend.
“Former President Barack Obama is confirmed to attend the 60th Inaugural Ceremonies. Former first lady Michelle Obama will not attend the upcoming inauguration,” said a statement from the office of Barack and Michelle Obama on Tuesday. No reason was provided in the statement.
The former first lady did not attend the state funeral of former President Jimmy Carter earlier this month. All the living former presidents and vice presidents attended it except for former Vice President Dick Cheney.
Michelle Obama, meanwhile, was the only spouse absent from the service last week at Washington National Cathedral, where her husband and Trump were seated next to each other and chatted with each other.
All three former presidents and their wives attended Trump’s first inauguration in January 2017, including Hillary Clinton after she lost the 2016 presidential election to Trump. Carter also attended the event.
On Monday, the Trump transition team released a schedule of his inauguration, which will start over the forthcoming weekend.
On Jan. 18, fireworks and a reception will be held at Trump’s golf course in Sterling, Virginia, and a day later, Trump will lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Virginia’s Arlington National Cemetery, where members of the military are buried.
Later on Jan. 19, Trump will hold a rally at the Capital One Arena in Washington, his first since winning the presidency in November, among other events that day, according to the schedule.
A day later, on Jan. 20, Trump will head to service at St. John’s Church in Washington. At noon, Trump will take the oath of office at the U.S. Capitol, with Chief Justice John Roberts presiding over the event.
“I do solemnly swear [or affirm] that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States,” Trump is expected to say.
Among other events on Jan. 20, Trump will also review the U.S. military’s troops, hold a parade down Pennsylvania Avenue, and hold a signing ceremony near the Senate chamber.
On Monday, FBI, Capitol, and Secret Service offices provided an update on the security detail ahead of Inauguration Day, confirming that as many as 250,000 ticketed guests are expected to attend.
“We are not currently tracking any specific or credible threats to the inaugural ceremony or to the Capitol complex,” FBI special agent David Sundberg said in a Monday news conference. “We will continue to work closely with our partners to share information and identify and disrupt any threat that may emerge.”
The inauguration committee planning the event, headed by Trump’s incoming Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and former Sen. Kelly Loeffler, said that Trump is “dedicated to uniting the country through the strength, security, and opportunity of his America First agenda.”
“The 2025 inaugural celebrations will reflect President-elect Trump’s historic return to the White House and the American people’s decisive vote to Make America Great Again,” Witkoff and Loeffler said in their statement.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.