President Donald Trump was sworn into office on Monday for the second time in the last 8 years, and while many former presidents, first ladies, and influential members of Congress were present, some were not.
As for those who were there, former Presidents Obama, Clinton, and George W. Bush were all seen, as well as former Vice Presidents Quayle and Pence and former First Ladies Clinton and Laura Bush.
Among the presidential family members who passed on seeing Trump sworn into office for his second term was former First Lady Michelle Obama.
A solo Barack Obama made his own headlines when he jokingly said something to the Bushes as he walked to his seat that made them laugh.
So, what did he say? Numerous forensic lip readers reported that he said 'How can we stop what's happening?' Many media outlets reported that Michelle Obama and George W. Bush have forged a playful, fun relationship -- one where he passes her candy during events -- and that he was probably missing his buddy.
Still, Daily Mail reported that Barack Obama was "in a jovial mood." When a staffer asked Bush: 'Are you going to behave?' Obama chimed in with 'Nope.'
Later, Emily Davies, a reporter for the Washington Post, asked Obama if he behaved.
'Just barely,' he replied.
It was confirmed last week that former President Obama would attend the ceremony alone on Monday when the Obama family released a statement confirming that Michelle Obama would not attend.
“Former President Barack Obama is confirmed to attend the 60th Inaugural Ceremonies. Former First Lady Michelle Obama will not attend the upcoming inauguration,” the Office of Barack and Michelle Obama said.
The move was no surprise to some, as the former first lady has often criticized Trump over his actions, most recently at the Democratic National Convention.
“For years, Donald Trump did everything in his power to try to make people fear us. See, his limited, narrow view of the world made him feel threatened by the existence of two hardworking, highly educated, successful people who happen to be Black,” Michelle Obama said.
Former second lady Karen Pence was also missing from the event. While the second lady isn’t the most important role to attend events like this, it is notable as she is the wife of Trump’s former vice president.
The decision not to attend came after she was present at President Jimmy Carter’s funeral, though she refused to acknowledge Trump at the service. Many have speculated that the hard feelings came after Trump turned on Pence when he refused to overturn the 2020 election. However, he did not confirm that when asked.
“You’d have to ask my wife about her posture, but we’ve been married 44 years, and she loves her husband, and her husband respects her deeply,” the former vice president told Christianity Today.
Among the most notable members of Congress to not be in attendance on Monday includes former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.).
The pair have often been critical of Trump and those loyal to him in Congress. While Pelosi did not offer details on why she would be skipping, AOC shared her thoughts in a TikTok on Sunday.
“All these journalists are like, ‘Congresswoman, are you going to the inauguration? Congresswoman, are you going to the inauguration? Are you going to the inauguration?” Ocasio-Cortez said in her TikTok video.
“Let me make myself clear,” she added. “I don’t celebrate rapists. So no, I’m not going to the inauguration tomorrow.”
In 2023, a jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing writer E. Jean Carroll in the mid-1990s. He was not found to have committed rape.