Pelosi to Skip Trump’s Inauguration

Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) speaks during a press conference about Hong Kong at House Triangle on Capitol Hill in Washington on Nov. 19, 2024. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

Former House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) will not be attending the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, a spokesperson told several news outlets.

The spokesperson confirmed that Pelosi will not attend the Jan. 20 ceremony, at which Trump will be sworn in as the 47th president. No reason was provided.

Pelosi broke her hip during a trip to Europe in mid-December 2024 as part of a congressional delegation, requiring surgery and hospitalization. Although the injury caused her to miss some official events, she was in Washington for both the opening day of the new Congress and the electoral vote count on Jan. 6.

Pelosi attended Trump’s first inauguration in 2017 and has, over the course of her career in politics, taken part in 11 presidential inaugurations.

During Trump’s first term in office, Pelosi emerged as one of his most prominent critics in Congress. This continued after he left the White House and faced a flurry of legal cases, including several criminal indictments. In mid-2023, Pelosi told New York magazine that a second Trump term “cannot happen, or we will not be the United States of America,” and that if he were to become the 47th president, “it would be a criminal enterprise in the White House.”

Trump has made critical remarks about Pelosi, including calling her an “enemy from within” and accusing her of failing to take adequate action to protect the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Former First Lady Michelle Obama’s office announced on Tuesday that she would not be attending the ceremony. No reason was provided for the decision. Former President Barack Obama, however, will be in attendance.

A handful of House Democrats, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), are also expected to miss the inauguration.

Earlier this week, the Trump transition team released the schedule for the presidential inauguration, which will commence over the upcoming weekend.

The events begin on Jan. 18 with fireworks and a reception at Trump’s golf course in Sterling, Virginia. On Jan. 19, Trump will lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia, a resting place for members of the military.

Later on Jan. 19, Trump will hold a rally at the Capital One Arena in Washington, marking his first rally since his November 2024 election victory. Additional events are also planned for the day, according to the schedule.

On Jan. 20, Inauguration Day, Trump will attend a morning service at St. John’s Church in Washington. At noon, he will take the oath of office at the U.S. Capitol, administered by Chief Justice John Roberts. The oath reads: “I do solemnly swear [or affirm] that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

Following the swearing-in ceremony, Trump will review U.S. military troops, lead a parade down Pennsylvania Avenue, and participate in a signing ceremony near the Senate chamber, among other scheduled events.