Key Figures and World Leaders Skip Trump’s Inauguration as Ceremony Approaches
As the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump approaches, several notable figures have announced they will skip the event, which marks a significant moment in U.S. history.
The inauguration, scheduled to take place indoors, has already invited at least seven sitting heads of state, but many important individuals have chosen not to attend.
Typically, U.S. presidential inaugurations are domestic events, with the president and vice president taking their oaths, surrounded by U.S. officials, former presidents, and other VIPs, on the steps of the U.S. Capitol. Foreign leaders rarely attend, although diplomats, such as ambassadors or foreign ministers, represent their countries.
Former First Lady Michelle Obama will not attend Trump’s inauguration on January 20, 2025, while her husband, former President Barack Obama, will. Similarly, former President George W. Bush and his wife, Laura, as well as Bill and Hillary Clinton, have confirmed their attendance.
“Former President Barack Obama is confirmed to attend the 60th Inaugural Ceremonies. Former First Lady Michelle Obama will not attend,” a statement from the Obama office said.
China’s President Xi Jinping, initially invited by Trump, will not attend the inauguration. Instead, China’s Vice President Han Zheng will represent the country, following the U.S. decision to restore TikTok, a Chinese-owned app with 170 million U.S. users.
Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a Trump ally, also confirmed he would not attend. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had a close working relationship with Trump during his first term, will also not be attending. India’s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar will represent the country at the indoor event, which will be held due to cold temperatures in Washington, D.C.
Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, known as the ‘Trump of the Tropics,’ was invited but will not attend after the Brazilian Supreme Court confiscated his passport and banned him from traveling. Bolsonaro is under investigation following his defeat in the 2022 elections, which he allegedly tried to overturn.
Trump did not invite U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer but extended an invitation to Nigel Farage of the far-right Reform UK Party, who has confirmed he will attend. French President Emmanuel Macron was not invited, but far-right politician Eric Zemmour, leader of the Reconquest party, was and will be attending.
Key Figures and World Leaders Skip Trump’s Inauguration as Ceremony Approaches
