Ah, Michelle Obama—the self-appointed queen of grace under pressure—has finally weighed in on the great mystery of 2017: why she didn’t show up to Donald Trump’s inauguration.
Forget the whole peaceful transition of power thing, national unity, or, you know, the ceremonial duties that come with being a former First Lady. Nope. According to Michelle, it came down to… not having a dress. You heard that right. Not a diplomatic protest, not a principled stand—just a wardrobe choice, or rather, a wardrobe avoidance strategy.
In the latest episode of her podcast (because of course there’s a podcast), Michelle and her brother Craig Robinson chatted with actress Taraji P. Henson about personal boundaries, the strength to say “no,” and her courageous battle with… inauguration RSVPs. Michelle explained that she essentially “tricked” herself into skipping Trump’s swearing-in by not having a dress ready. And if that doesn’t scream empowerment, what does?
Now, let’s be clear: this wasn’t a spontaneous decision. According to Michelle, this act of self-preservation was carefully engineered from the start of the year. She made sure no one prepped an outfit so she could avoid the temptation of doing “the right thing,” which in this case apparently meant showing a shred of bipartisan decency during one of the nation’s most visible democratic traditions.
Instead, Michelle framed her decision as part of her journey to “own her life” and “build the muscle” of saying no. Admirable, maybe, if this were about refusing to overextend herself at PTA meetings or canceling on a lunch date that doesn’t spark joy. But skipping the peaceful transfer of power? That’s not flexing a boundary. That’s flexing a political grudge.
And let’s not ignore the passive-aggressive jabs sprinkled throughout her explanation. Michelle insinuated that the backlash she received was rooted in sexism and assumptions about her marriage. Because in the world of Obamas, criticism is never about the decision—it’s always about society’s deep-rooted flaws.
If people were shocked that a former First Lady ghosted the inauguration of her husband’s successor, it couldn’t possibly be because that move undermined the very notion of nonpartisan unity. No, no. It had to be about patriarchal assumptions and the media’s obsession with divorce rumors. Naturally.
She went on to suggest that continuing to attend events like inaugurations, even after all she’s done “in this world,” would just reinforce some outdated, unattainable bar set by past generations of women. As if showing up to one of the most sacred ceremonies in American government is somehow an act of internalized oppression. Right. Because God forbid we set the bar of civic responsibility too high for the next generation.
Michelle Obama on skipping Trump’s inauguration: “I’m here really trying to own my life and intentionally practice making the choice that was right for me, and it took everything in my power to not do the thing that was perceived as right. ” pic.twitter.com/cYU5NGdWZa
— Neo Jane (@Neo_Jane8) April 23, 2025
Let’s translate this: Michelle Obama didn’t want to show up because Donald Trump won—and she couldn’t stomach legitimizing it with her presence. Fine. Own that. But dressing it up as some kind of feminist journey or emotional self-care masterclass is just more smoke and mirrors. It’s not about a dress, and it’s not about protecting her peace. It’s about political optics, plain and simple.
Say what you will about Melania Trump—she at least showed up to meet the Obamas in 2017 with dignity and class, despite her husband being dragged through the media like a chew toy. Michelle, meanwhile, staged a walkout that she now packages as motivational wisdom.
We get it. Saying no is empowering. But sometimes, saying yes—to tradition, to country, to continuity—is even more powerful. Especially when you have a platform big enough to influence millions. Instead, we got a podcast lecture about dresses and boundaries wrapped in a self-help bow.
So maybe next time, just say it: “I skipped the inauguration because I didn’t want to see Trump sworn in.” That would have been the most honest, empowering thing she could have said.
