Michelle Obama Honors MLK Day With a Tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. After Skipping Inauguration

On January 20, 2025, Michelle Obama skipped Donald Trump's inauguration. Instead, she took to Instagram to honor MLK Day, and encouraged her followers to remember Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "legacy of service."

"Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy of service always inspires me," Obama wrote on Instagram. "This #MLKDay, I hope you'll join me and @WhenWeAllVote in honoring Dr. King's life and legacy by getting involved in your community." She continued, "Whether you're mentoring students at your local school or volunteering for a cause that matters to you, it all helps make a difference. Tell me how you're giving back today in the comments."

The Becoming author also shared a poignant quote from King, which said, "The time is always right to do what is right."

While Michelle chose to skip Trump's inauguration, her husband, former president Barack Obama, was in attendance. As for why Michelle decided to swerve the event, a source told People, "There's no overstating her feelings about [Trump]. She's not one to plaster on a pleasant face and pretend for protocol's sake." The source continued, "Michelle doesn't do anything because it's expected or it's protocol or it's tradition."

The outlet's source also alleged that Michelle disagreed with many of Trump's comments, both about her family and about people of color, which led to her decision not to attend. "She served in the public eye and did all the public good that she could for eight years as first lady," the source claimed. "You'll see her when she has a project or cause to promote but she doesn't feel the need to be a public figure anymore."

Michelle previously revealed her feelings regarding Trump's presidential win in 2016. As Michelle and husband Barack were leaving their roles in the White House, it was necessary for her to take part in a handover to the new president and his wife, Melania Trump.

"I have to be honest and say that none of this was easy for me," Michelle wrote on Instagram in November 2020. "Donald Trump had spread racist lies about my husband that had put my family in danger. That wasn't something I was ready to forgive. But I knew that, for the sake of our country, I had to find the strength and maturity to put my anger aside." She continued, "So I welcomed Melania Trump into the White House and talked with her about my experience, answering every question she had—from the heightened scrutiny that comes with being First Lady to what it's like to raise kids in the White House."