Nancy Pelosi joins Michelle Obama; she too will not join Donald Trump's inauguration on January 20

Michelle Obama and Nancy Pelosi, the longtime Speaker of the House, have both stated that they will not be attending Trump's inauguration. Trump and Pelosi have been at odds for a number of years.

A spokesperson for the 84-year-old House speaker confirmed to PEOPLE that she will not be attending Trump's swearing-in ceremony. After former first lady Michelle Obama, Pelosi is the second prominent Democrat to decline the event, according to the announcement, which was initially reported by ABC News.

Although she no longer holds a formal leadership position, Pelosi's spokesperson did not elaborate on why she did not attend the event.


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How Has Pelosi’s Relationship with Trump Shaped Her Decision?

Trump's first swearing-in was attended by Pelosi, who was speaker of the House for eight years in total. According to ABC, the 2017 inauguration was the tenth of eleven she has attended in her life, beginning with John F. Kennedy's in 1961.

Trump and the former speaker have previously had a tense relationship. Notably, Pelosi, who was seated behind him during his 2020 State of the Union speech, tore up a copy of the speech in front of the room's cameras.
She later told reporters that it was the polite thing to do considering the alternative. It was such a dirty speech.

The tension between the then-president and Pelosi was reflected in Pelosi's response to Trump's impeachment due to his Ukraine scandal. Even after Pelosi resigned as the Democratic House leader in 2023 and Trump left the White House in 2021, their tense relationship has remained.

Trump recently started insulting her during his last campaign rally before the 2024 election, but he stopped himself.

Pelosi's decision to skip Trump's inauguration follows Michelle Obama's announcement of the same days prior.

She is not exaggerating how she feels about Trump. A person close to the former first lady told about her choice, saying that she's not one to put on a happy front and pretend for the sake of protocol. Michelle doesn't do anything because it's expected, it's protocol, or it's tradition.

FAQs

Why is Nancy Pelosi missing Donald Trump's inauguration?
While no specific reasons were provided, Pelosi's tense relationship with Trump could explain her absence from the event.

Has Nancy Pelosi missed any other inaugurations before?
Yes, Pelosi will miss her second inauguration out of 11, dating back to John F. Kennedy's in 1961.