Nancy Pelosi Declines Invitation to Attend Trump Inauguration
Former House Speaker and California Democrat Rep. Nancy Pelosi, known for emphasizing the importance of "preserving norms protecting democracy" and "accepting the results of an election," appears to have contradicted her own rhetoric.
ABC News reported that the former House Speaker has declined an invitation to attend President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday. Her office has not provided a specific reason for her absence, although the 84-year-old recently suffered a broken hip after a fall in Germany.
Pelosi isn’t the only prominent figure declining to attend.
Former First Lady Michelle Obama will also skip the Jan. 20 swearing-in ceremony. However, former President Barack Obama is expected to be present.
“Former President Barack Obama is confirmed to attend the 60th Inaugural Ceremonies. Former First Lady Michelle Obama will not attend the upcoming inauguration,” stated a brief announcement from the Office of Barack and Michelle Obama.
“A spokesperson for former President George W. Bush confirmed he and former First Lady Laura Bush are planning to be at the Capitol for the festivities. Michelle Obama also did not attend funeral services for Jimmy Carter last week, where all the living former presidents congregated. The other living first ladies were also in attendance,” CBS News reported.
Since 2008, Michelle Obama has attended every inauguration, including Trump’s first in 2017, when she and her husband exited the White House. Reflecting on that event during her podcast in 2023, she recalled her emotions.
“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 remarked. “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.”
She later shared on “The Light Podcast” that she cried for 30 minutes after the ceremony, explaining, “That’s how much we were holding it together for eight years without really being able to show it all.”
The relationship between Trump and Barack Obama drew attention recently when they were seen sharing a friendly conversation at the U.S. Capitol during former President Jimmy Carter’s state funeral.
Carter, who passed away last month at the age of 100, was honored at the National Cathedral, with all living presidents in attendance. While Vice President Harris briefly interrupted the conversation by sitting near Obama and Trump, they resumed their exchange moments later, with Trump leaning in and Obama laughing at several points.
Meanwhile, former first ladies Melania Trump and Laura Bush, seated nearby, remained composed as the Clintons chatted and Bush greeted others in attendance.
Vice President Kamala Harris also made headlines this week, certifying the results of the 2024 election, which confirmed Trump’s victory and her defeat in the presidential race.
However, Harris appears determined to stay in the political spotlight. CNN’s Isaac Dovere revealed that Harris has privately discussed future plans, including a possible run for California governor in 2026 or another bid for the presidency in 2028.
Harris, reportedly unwilling to let her certification of Trump’s victory be her “final act,” remains vocal about her ambitions.
“We haven’t seen or heard much from Vice President Kamala Harris since she lost the election last month,” CNN’s Manu Raju commented. “But the Democratic Party is still reeling from Trump’s victory.”