Michelle Obama reveals shocking reason she skipped Trump’s inauguration
1 May 2025, 09:12
When the former First Lady wasn’t seen by Barack Obama’s side at Trump’s inauguration, she sparked rumours about the state of her marriage. But she has since opened up about the real reason for her absence.
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
When the 61 year old former First Lady skipped both Trump’s inauguration and Jimmy Carter’s funeral this January, she raised eyebrows.
Michelle had recently hit out at the divorce rumours, noting she had now earned the right to control her calendar as a “grown woman” - but she hadn’t explicitly stated how or why she’d chosen to fill that calendar.
But speaking on her podcast IMO, co-hosted with her brother, she has revealed the real reason why she didn’t attend Trump’s inauguration.
“It started with not having anything to wear,” she said, slightly tongue-in-cheek.
The former First Lady went on to hint that, as someone who is always uber-prepared with a wardrobe for any occasion, she might have been subconsciously stopping herself from attending.
“I mean, cause I'm always prepared for any funeral, anything. I walk around with the right dress, I travel with clothes just in case something pops off.”
“So I was like - if I'm not going to do this thing, I got to tell my team. I don't even want to have a dress ready?”
Michelle then mused how such a small decision could spark such gossip about her marriage.
She then expressed concern at how women don’t seem to be able to say “no” without people speculating about motive.
“No is a full sentence,” she said, urging young women to practise setting strong boundaries.
“It’s so important to give ourselves permission to make decisions that protect our peace.”