Importance Score: 35 / 100 🔵
Michelle Obama is articulating her rationale for declining an invitation to President Donald Trump’s second inaugural ceremony.
Reasoning Behind Absence
“You know, being someone who ticks off boxes, who has done it all my life, doing the right thing, always trying to set an example, to continually rise above … I felt like I said to myself, ‘I’ve done enough of that,’ and if I haven’t, then I never will,” the ex-First Lady shared with Steven Bartlett during Thursday’s installment of the “The Diary of a CEO” podcast.
“It will never suffice,” she added. “So, let me begin now.”
Self-Reflection and Personal Well-being
In April, the “Becoming” author dismissed speculation that she skipped the January 20 event with her spouse, former President Barack Obama, because of marital issues.
“People couldn’t fathom that I might decline for any other reason,” the 61-year-old mother of two remarked during the April 23 episode of her “IMO” podcast with her brother, Craig Robinson.
“They had to assume that my marriage was in trouble.”
Decision to Prioritize Self-Care
Michelle elaborated that she chose to prioritize her own well-being. Despite joining Barack at Trump’s first inauguration in 2017, she chose to abstain from the second celebration.
“It required immense strength not to do what was perceived as right but to do what felt right for me,” she confessed to guest Taraji P. Henson on the podcast. “It was a challenging choice.”
During the same podcast episode in April, she admitted to “basically deceiving” herself into missing the notable event by ensuring she had “nothing appropriate to wear” on the day.
Importance of Saying “No”
“I thought, if I’m not going to do this, I’ve got to inform my team,” she explained. “I don’t even want to have a dress prepared.”
She reasoned that if she had prepared the fitting attire, she might have felt compelled to say, “Let me fulfill my obligation [by attending].”
The former legal professional underscored that skipping the event marked the start of her practice in mastering the “art of refusal,” a skill she considers crucial for “the young women out there” to embrace.
The mom of Sasha, 23, and Malia, 26, asserted that embracing this skill is particularly important “given the hypocrisy and contradictions we frequently encounter.”
Addressing Marriage Rumors
Addressing speculations about her marriage, Michelle reassured Sophia Bush during an April 9 appearance on the “Work in Progress” podcast that their 32-year union remains robust.
“If [decisions don’t] align with the stereotypes of what people think we should do, it’s often labeled negatively,” she noted, brushing off the unfounded claims.