Finally, Michelle Obama has explained why she was unable to attend Donald Trump’s January inauguration.
The former first lady made headlines in January when she skipped the 78-year-old president’s inauguration.
She didn’t make it to Jimmy Carter’s burial, when she was meant to sit close to Trump.
Her frequent absences set off a chain of accusations that ranged from political animosity to a potential broken marriage to former President Barack Obama.
The 61-year-old, however, stated in a recent episode of her newly launched podcast—which also features actress Taraji P. Henson—that the decision, which she said was met with “ridicule and criticism,” had nothing to do with controversy and was solely tied to self-care.
She revealed, as reported by Today, “I’m at this stage in life where I have to define my life on my terms for the first time.” “What are those terms, and is going to therapy the only way to resolve all of that?”
Regarding the former lawyer’s absence, the Obamas’ office at the time released the following succinct statement: “Former President Barack Obama is confirmed to attend the 60th Inaugural Ceremonies.” Michelle Obama, the former first lady, is not going to the inauguration.
The absence of an answer simply served to heighten conjecture that something more profound was occurring. “People couldn’t believe that I was saying no for any other reason, they had to assume that my marriage was falling apart,” the mother of two said in response to the rumours, as reported by The New York Post.
She added, “It took everything in my power to do the things that were right for me, instead of what was perceived as right. That was a hard thing for me to do.” She is currently working on teaching her kids, Sasha and Malia, “the art of saying no.”
“I see it in them – pleasing, excelling, not wanting to take anything for granted, always showing gratitude,” Obama stated, adding, “I want them to start practicing the art of saying no now. feeling as though they are sufficient at the moment. It’s a routine. It is a muscle that must be developed. Because it cannot be developed if it is not continuously built.
Even attending Trump’s inauguration in 2020, the former First Lady has made her opinions about the former president quite clear.
She has previously called him “a predator found liable for sexual abuse,” “a convicted felon, a known slumlord,” according to The Independent.
