Obama, Clinton and Bush refuse to attend Trump's inaugural dinner

Former U.S. presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush will not attend the traditional inaugural dinner of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, NBC News reports, UNN writes.

Details

Obama received an invitation but declined to attend, according to a source familiar with the situation. Clinton has also been invited but does not plan to attend, according to a second source familiar with the situation, while Bush's office said it does not track lunch invitations.

Former Secretary of State and First Lady Hillary Clinton also received an invitation to the inaugural dinner, but she will not be attending, according to a third source familiar with the matter.

A spokesman for the Trump transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the absence.

All three former presidents, however, will attend Trump's swearing-in ceremony earlier that day, according to their teams. The former first ladies will also attend the swearing-in ceremony, with the exception of Michelle Obama, according to Obama's office. No reason was given. Michelle Obama also did not attend the funeral of former President Jimmy Carter last week, making her the only absence among all current and former presidents and first ladies.

Michelle Obama will not attend Trump's inauguration15.01.25, 02:41 • 28690 views

Addendum

Inauguration Day is one of the few occasions when all former presidents usually come together to announce the inauguration of the next administration. However, Trump refused to attend President Joe Biden's inauguration in 2021.

The Clintons attended a dinner in 2017 after Trump defeated Hillary Clinton.