Michelle Obama Got Real About How She Felt During Trump's Inauguration
For some, life feels like a very bad dream since January 2017. Over the years, the Trump administration has introduced a number of policies that roll back on progress President Barack Obama made during his eight-year term. Well, apparently, some citizens aren't the only ones who have been feeling reminiscent, because Michelle Obama's comments about Donald Trump's inauguration are an emotional tell-all.
On Saturday, July 6, former first lady Michelle Obama appeared at Essence Festival in New Orleans, Louisiana, to speak to journalist Gayle King about her experience attending President Donald Trump's inauguration on Jan. 20, 2017. According to Obama, it was an emotional day for every member of the first family. Not only did her two daughters, Sasha and Malia, cry at the thought of leaving their then-home of eight years, but Obama noted the crowd had her feeling emotional — and not in a good way. She said,
Then we had to meet the Trumps. That day was very emotional and then to sit at that inauguration and to look around at a crowd that was not reflective of the country, and I had to sit in that audience as one of the handfuls of people of color, all that I had to hold on to over those last eight years, and it was a lot emotionally.
Elite Daily reached out to the White House for a response to Obama's comments, but did not hear back in time for publication.
King also asked Obama what her thoughts were on the Trump administration rolling back on Obama-era policies, such as their fight to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement in June 2017. According to Obama, her and her family's sadness isn't due to their "legacy" being undermined, but its effects on the United States as a whole. She said,
We weren’t there to instill our legacy, but the upset it would cause the country. What saddens me is what it’s doing to the country as a whole. What we have to be really conscientious of is what kind of country we’re leaving for our children or grandchildren.
Elite Daily reached out to the White House for comment on the Trump administration rolling back on Obama-era policies, but did not hear back in time for publication.
Even though Obama got very candid with King about her experience at Trump's inauguration, this isn't the first time she's spoken on the matter. In December 2018, Obama appeared on The Tonight Show, where host Jimmy Fallon held up a picture of Obama leaving Trump's inauguration. Once holding up the photo, Obama quickly stated "Bye, Felicia," which naturally made the crowd erupt in laughter. When asked by Fallon whether that was actually the thought going through her mind, Obama responded by stating the inauguration was "a day" for her and her family, with a lot of thoughts running through her head.
Despite Obama's emotions leaving the White House, she expressed to Fallon that she still has hope for future generations in this country. Leave it to the first lady to find a silver lining even in a seemingly hopeless situation.
Clearly, Obama still isn't quite over the 2017 inauguration, but come 2021, there could be some change on the horizon. The 2020 presidential election is already in full swing, and there are a number of Democratic candidates ready to take on Trump for the White House. Both sides of the aisle will have to wait and see what comes from the election, but in the meantime, at least Obama will be keeping it real.
