Empty chairs on the inaugural stand are seen on the day it was announced U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration is being moved indoors due to dangerously cold temperatures expected on Monday, in Washington, U.S., January 17, 2025.
On Tuesday afternoon former First Lady Michelle Obama released a brief statement saying she would not be attending the swearing-in ceremony at Donald Trump’s inauguration next Monday.
Her brief missive did not mention the vile bigot by name, but her words at this summer’s Democratic National Convention where she did spoke volumes, and laid the pretext for her decision to stay far away from Washington, D.C., on Monday:
“For years, Donald Trump did everything in his power to try to make people fear us. See, his limited, narrow view of the world made him feel threatened by the existence of two hardworking, highly educated, successful people who happen to be Black.”
Many of us remember that the foul-mouthed felon from the rough-and-tumble country clubs of New York City was the architect of the reprehensible birther conspiracy in 2011 when he alleged Barack, Michelle’s husband, was not a U.S. citizen.
There was absolutely zero truth to this, of course, and the orange serial-liar knew it, but that was hardly the point. His lie positively resonated with millions of racist Americans across the country, who would turn out to be the hard core of his revolting MAGA base, which was entirely the point.
All of which begs this question: Why is Barack Obama, or any Democrat in leadership, attending this revolting ceremony Monday, and giving weight to what they know is a travesty of justice, and performative nonsense at its galling worst?
If our democracy isn’t dead, it is teetering, and giving attendance and lending credibility to the proceedings of a man who has wrecked this country with glee, insults the senses of the millions of us who are currently scared to death about what is about to transpire in less than 72 hours.
It also serves to continue the torrent of mix messaging in both actions and words of Democratic leadership since the most consequential election in our nation’s history just two, short months ago, starting with Joe Biden.
I thank Biden for his service to our country, but I’m past sick and tired of the double-talk and verbal whiplash we’ve been getting from him since that disastrous election. It took him but a week to invite the son of a bitch who tried to overthrow our government back to our White House where he seemingly couldn’t wait to warm Trump’s fat ass by the fire while literally smiling and saying, “Welcome back!”
Can somebody please tell me what the hurry was there, and what we are supposed to do with THAT? Welcome back???? Most of us were still trying to deal with the shock from the blast only seven days earlier.
It turns out some in Biden’s own administration were caught off guard by the speed of the invite, and the zeal in which he hosted this event, as they damn well should have been.
Well by this past Wednesday night, Biden’s “welcome back” had turned into “warning, warning!” when he addressed the nation and solemnly warned us of this:
"I want to warn the country of some things that give me great concern. And this is a dangerous — and that’s the dangerous concentration of power in the hands of a very few ultra-wealthy people, and the dangerous consequences if their abuse of power is left unchecked. Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedoms and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead. We see the consequences all across America. And we’ve seen it before."
Look, anybody who is not plugged into corrosive, rightwing propaganda 24/7, understands what the election of the felonious monster means for America and the now-dead idea that we are the greatest democracy on Earth.
We are in deep, deep trouble and Democrats’ response to this has been inconsistent, weak, and scary in its own right.
It is clear right now that while Democrats seem to understand they have both a messaging problem and the means to amplify the work they are doing for America, they are nowhere close to figuring out how to rectify either.
By assembling essentially the very same leadership team in the Senate that they lost with last year, it is also sadly becoming clear that are delighted to be limping into the future without giving a second thought as to what knee-capped them in the past.
I would like to type that I have full confidence that Democrats will figure this out, but unlike Trump, I prefer to deal in the truth …
By Thursday afternoon, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi had announced that she, too, will be avoiding the scene of the crime Monday, so there does seem to be a late rush of common sense breaking through the thick fog.
Pelosi’s husband was brutally beaten by a right-wing lunatic with a hammer two-plus years ago, and Trump has repeatedly made light of that attack actually spouting off in a campaign speech, that, “We’ll stand up to crazy Nancy Pelosi, who ruined San Francisco — and how’s her husband doing, anybody know?”
It is hard to describe just how gross this man is, but it should never be forgotten that not only did he avoid Biden’s inaugural in 2021, but made it impossible for almost anybody else to, either, because of his violent attack on our country only two weeks earlier.
Our Capitol looked like a war zone that day, and was under a state of emergency.
Hopefully, other Democrats like Bill and Hillary Clinton will reconsider their plans to give this sickening event their endorsement with their attendance.
If they are looking for something far more worthy to do in the city, I’d suggest spending some time at the Martin Luther King Memorial to celebrate that great man’s life Monday. Now there is a person worth their time and attention …
Mostly, I hope they wake up and decide to show some respect for themselves.
If they can’t do that, then the very least they can do is show some damn respect for us.
NOW READ: Trump spits on the military. Again.
D. Earl Stephens is the author of “Toxic Tales: A Caustic Collection of Donald J. Trump’s Very Important Letters” and finished up a 30-year career in journalism as the Managing Editor of Stars and Stripes. You can find all his work here, and follow on Bluesky here.
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