Trump Never Invited The Obamas Back To The White House

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The Light We Carry: Overcoming In Uncertain Times - In Conversation With Michelle Obama
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 13: Michelle Obama walks onstage during The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times - in Conversation with Michelle Obama at YouTube Theater on December 13, 2022 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images for ABA)
Trump snubbed a 50-year tradition to not have to see the Obamas.

There is a long-standing tradition in American politics. As president, you are meant to invite your predecessor back to the White House for the unveiling and hanging of their official Presidential Portrait. Once a staple of the Presidential experience, it was Jackie Kennedy who restarted the tradition in the 1960s.

The tradition of the current President helping unveil the portrait of the previous President started in earnest under President Carter. Carter invited President Ford back to the White House in 1978 to hang Ford's portrait. The tradition continued from there, with the exception of Carter who requested that there be no ceremony. Bush I invited back Reagan, Clinton invited back Bush I, Bush II invited back Clinton, and Obama invited back Bush II. However, the trend stopped under Trump, who did not extend an invitation to the Obamas. Their portraits were instead unveiled in 2022 by President Biden.

Trump Never Invited The Obamas To The White House

Appearing on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon, the former First Lady did not hold back. She cut Fallon off as he tried to lead into a question about being invited back under the Biden administration. "Wasn't invited," Obama quipped, smirking as the jab threw Fallon off before following up with an "oooh shade." She then went on to clarify what she meant, “That’s tradition. You do your official portraits. The next president is supposed to invite you back to hang them. We were never invited back. So, these pictures had been done for a long, long time.”

Trump has had a...thorny relationship with his Presidential predecessor to say the least. Reports claim that Trump had the toilets replaced in the White House after the Obamas left. Furthermore, Trump was a very prominent voice in the "Birther movement", the right-wing conspiracy that Obama was not a US citizen. Despite running against Hilary Clinton in 2016, Trump always positioned himself as an antidote to the Obama era. A president almost famous for his reckless abandonment of protocol, this latest claim of both shunning tradition and snubbing the Obamas is unsurprising. It is unclear when the official portraits of the Trumps will be completed.

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About The Author
Benjamin Mock (they/them) is a sports and culture writer working out of Philadelphia. Previously writing for the likes of Fixture, Dexerto, Fragster, and Jaxon, Ben has dedicated themselves to engaging and accessible articles about sports, esports, and internet culture. With a love for the weirder stories, you never quite know what to expect from their work.
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