Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday will see several key figures skipping the event. Former first lady Michelle Obama and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi have both announced they won’t be attending in Washington, New York Times reports.
Michelle Obama also didn’t attend former President Jimmy Carter’s funeral earlier this month. Pelosi, a vocal critic of Trump during his first term, will also be missing, though no reason for her absence has been given.
Several House Democrats, including Representatives Adam Smith (Washington), Judy Chu (California), Delia Ramirez (Illinois), Don Beyer (Virginia), Steve Cohen (Tennessee), Jasmine Crockett (Texas), Ilhan Omar (Minnesota), and Veronica Escobar (Texas), have also confirmed they won’t be attending.
Donald Trump Inauguration
Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez appeared to suggest in a video that she wouldn’t attend Donald Trump’s inauguration, referring to him as a “rapist.”
Key world leaders won’t be present either.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had a close relationship with Trump during his first term, will be represented by external affairs minister S Jaishankar.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, invited but won’t attend, will be represented by his deputy Han Zheng.
Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a close ally to Trump, has been invited but won’t attend due to a state address.
Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, invited but unable to attend, will be represented by his wife Michelle.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has not been invited, and the UK will be represented by its ambassador.
President of the EU Ursula von der Leyen and German chancellor Olaf Scholz haven’t been invited; both will be represented by ambassadors. French President Emmanuel Macron was not invited, with France represented by its ambassador to the US.
Despite these absences, many key figures will be present. The four other living US presidents—Bill Clinton, George W Bush, Barack Obama, and President Joe Biden—will attend. Vice president Kamala Harris, who ran against Trump in the 2024 election, will also be there. Former first ladies Laura Bush and Hillary Clinton will join their spouses at the event.
Several world leaders have confirmed they’ll attend, including Argentina’s President Javier Milei and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
From the tech world, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, and Shou Chew will also be present.
The inauguration ceremony will feature performances by country star Carrie Underwood, opera singer Christopher Macchio, and singer-songwriter Lee Greenwood.
