As Donald Trump and his wife Melania Trump, 54 prepare to enter the White House for the second time, new reports claimed that former first lady Michele Obama, 60, will not be in attendance for Trump’s second inauguration. “Fox & Friends” host Ainsley Earhardt interview Melania Trump on Jan. 13 as she prepared for her husband, President-elect Donald Trump, to take office again. Earhardt asked the Slovenian-born ex-model about moving into the White House for the second time and her response is being scrutinized among critics who say Melania seemed to shade the Obamas without mentioning their names. Melania Trump throws shade at Michelle Obama ahead of Trumps’ second inauguration. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images; Brandon Bell/Getty Images) “The first time was challenging. We didn’t have much information,” she stated about her husband’s first term after Obama’s back-to-back terms. “The information was upheld from us from the previous administration. But this time I have everything.” Melania added, “It’s a very different transition this time, second time around.” The naturalized American citizen has already packed for the changeover and furniture has been selected. Trump, 78, won the 2016 election against Hillary Clinton. He won his second term as president by defeating Kamala Harris in the 2024 election in Nov. 2024. The longtime host of “The Apprentice” reality television show lost to Joe Biden in 2020, who previously served as Obama’s vice president from 2009 to 2017. Both Donald and Melania skipped Biden’s inauguration in January 2021. Barack is confirmed to attend the 2025 inauguration, but many seem to be shocked that Michelle will not be attending. An official explanation about Michelle’s absence was not provided to The Associated Press. But an alleged source close to the couple told Page Six, “She’s never been fake and she’s never been phony. She’s always been very deliberate about where and how she shows up.” To all of those who have asked, I will not be going to the Inauguration on January 20th.— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2021 Michelle was also absent when her husband and Trump appeared rather “friendly” during former President Jimmy Carter’s funeral in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 9, nearly two weeks after he passed. “I didn’t realize how friendly it looked,” Trump told reporters at his Mar-a-Lago residence the following day. “Boy, they look like two people that like each other. And we probably do.” Thousands of people in the Daily Mail comment section weighed in on her decision to snub the Trumps years after what Melania suggests was their difficult 2017 presidential transition. “They say she’s not fake and phony to appeal to the low-brow people who still like her, but that isn’t it at all,” wrote one person about the Chicago-born attorney. They continued, “She’s simply not professional or classy. Most of us have to work with people we don’t like but we get on with it because we have jobs to do and families to feed.” A like-minded individual expressed, “You can still be professional and civilised, without being ‘fake.’ If that’s her reason for not attending, it’s petty and makes her look worse, not them.” “I’m perfectly okay with her not attending the funeral or the inauguration. Her inability to fake it leaves us all having to watch Debbie Downer pout and scowl,” another commenter posted. That person also commented, “She is elevating the occasions for us all by her absence. For our part, the Trumps not attending Biden’s inauguration did set a precedent – we can’t change our stance based on our aisle.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Guardian (@guardian) The supposed rift between Melania and Michelle has been a topic of conversation for years. Trump’s wife was previously accused of plagiarizing Michelle’s speech from 2008 for her own address at the 2016 Republican National Convention. Then came their awkward exchange on Trump’s Inauguration Day in 2017 that generated lots of online gossip after Melania presented Michelle with a gift outside the White House went viral.  After the two women hugged each other and their spouses shook hands, Michelle accepted the Tiffany & Co. box from Melania and quickly looked to hand it off to Barack before taking pictures. “Everyone cleared out and no one would come and take the box. And I’m thinking do we take the picture with?” Michelle stated on an episode of “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” in 2018. The Princeton University graduate continued, “And then my husband saved the day – see he grabbed the box and took it back inside. But everybody cleared out. No staff, no one. I was like, ‘What do you do with the box?’” That same year, ABC News anchor Robin Roberts asked Michelle if her successor at the time, Melania, had ever contacted her for advice. “No, she hasn’t,” Michelle answered, per CNN. That response pressured Melania’s press secretary, Stephanie Grisham, to release a statement to the network, stating, “Mrs. Trump is a strong and independent woman who has been navigating her role as First Lady in her own way.” “When she needs advice on any issue, she seeks it from her professional team within the White House,” Grisham claimed. Additionally, Michelle openly held a grudge against Melania’s husband for pushing the unfounded conspiracy which falsely claimed that Hawaii-born Barack was ineligible to be president because he was born in Kenya. View this post on Instagram A post shared by NBC News (@nbcnews) Melania also supported the birther movement. In 2011, she told Joy Behar, “It’s not only Donald who wants to see [Obama’s birth certificate], it’s [the] American people.”  Michelle wrote about the Trumps’ birtherism claims in her 2018 memoir “Becoming.” She called the false allegations “crazy,” “mean-spirited,” and “dangerous” that were used to “stir up the wingnuts and kooks.” Despite the apparent bad blood between the Obama family and the Trump family, both former presidents were cordial to each other at the recent state funeral for former President Jimmy Carter. President-elect Donald Trump will be inaugurated as the 47th president on Jan. 20. ‘She’s Never Been Fake’: Melania Trump’s Controversial Comments on Obama Administration Fuel Feud as Michelle Obama Will Skip Trump’s Second Inauguration