Melania Trump has taken aim at Michelle Obama, referencing what she called a “challenging transition” when the Obamas left the White House in 2017. The comment comes just as Michelle confirmed she won’t be attending President-elect Donald Trump’s second inauguration next week.
In an interview with Fox News host Ainsley Earhardt earlier this week, Melania was asked how the preparations for this inauguration differed from her first. Without hesitation, she took a jab at the Obamas.
“The difference is I know where I will be going, I know the rooms where we will be living. I know the process,” Melania said. “The first time was challenging, we didn’t have much of the information.”
She went on, “The information was upheld for us from [the] previous administration.” Translation: Melania clearly wasn’t thrilled with how the Obamas handed over the White House.
This time, she said, things are much smoother. “I have everything I need,” she added. “I’m already packed.” In fact, Melania emphasized how much easier the second transition has been compared to the first. “It’s [a] very different transition second time around,” she said.
When asked if the Bidens had been helpful during the transition, Melania avoided giving a direct answer. “They’re still living there and will be out on January 20,” she said. “The transition team has only five hours to move Bidens out to move us in.”
The comments come as Michelle Obama’s decision to skip Trump’s inauguration was confirmed. Although no official reason was given, a source told PEOPLE that Michelle’s absence is due to her deep dislike of Trump.
“There’s no overstating her feelings about [Trump],” the source said. “She’s not one to plaster on a pleasant face and pretend for protocol’s sake.”
The two first ladies have had an awkward history. During Trump’s first inauguration, Melania presented Michelle with a gift, but the moment quickly went viral when Michelle appeared confused about what to do with it, looking around for a place to put it.
Michelle later explained the awkwardness, calling it a matter of “protocol.” She also revealed in a 2023 interview the difficulty of sitting through Trump’s swearing-in.
“To sit on that stage and watch the opposite of what we represented on display, there was no diversity, there was no color on that stage,” Michelle said on The Light Podcast. “There was no reflection of the broader sense of America. Many people took pictures of me and they’re like, you weren’t in a good mood. No, I was not.”
It’s also worth noting that Donald Trump made history by being the first president to refuse to attend his successor’s inauguration since 1869. The tensions between the Trumps and the Obamas have clearly not gone away.