Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama did not appear at Dick Cheney’s funeral.
The former president and first lady will be absent from the inauguration of the 46th vice president of the United States, sources told People on Thursday.
A private funeral for the late Republican politician who served as Vice President to President George W. Bush was held Thursday morning at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.
President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance were also not invited to the funeral, according to Axios. (Cheney famously disparaged Trump by supporting the 2024 Democratic presidential candidate.)
Former President Bill Clinton also did not attend the event, citing alleged scheduling conflicts, according to multiple sources.
In addition to Bush, former President Joe Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris also attended with their respective partners.
Cheney died on Nov. 3 “due to complications from pneumonia and cardiovascular disease,” his family said in a statement at the time. He was 84 years old.
It’s unclear why Barack and Michelle didn’t show up to the funeral, but the “Becoming” author has been avoiding political events lately.
Representatives for the Obamas declined to comment to Page Six.
In January, Michelle raised eyebrows when she did not accompany her husband to Jimmy Carter’s funeral.
At the time, CNN reported that she was unable to attend because she was on an extended vacation in Hawaii. A few days later, Barack attended President Trump’s inauguration alone, but Michelle was nowhere to be seen.
A source told Page Six that Michelle intentionally skipped the inauguration because she is “not a charlatan.”
“She’s never lied, she’s never been a charlatan. She’s always been very careful about where and how she shows up,” the source said.
Another source said Michelle has “checked out” of life in DC.
In April, Michelle finally spoke out about why she didn’t attend President Trump’s swearing-in.
“I tried my best to do what was right for me instead of doing what was thought to be right. That was difficult for me,” she said on the IMO podcast.
Lately, Michelle has been focusing on learning the art of saying no.
“After all I’ve done in this world, if I have to show people that I love my country, that I’m doing the right thing, that I’m… always aiming high, all I’m doing is living up to those crazy standards that our mothers and grandmothers set for us,” she said.
Michelle also denied swirling rumors that she wasn’t by Barack’s side at the event citing marital problems.
“People couldn’t believe I was saying no for other reasons. They couldn’t help but think my marriage was falling apart,” she denied the speculation.
Michelle also said in March that she was no longer interested in politics because she wanted her children to have a normal life outside of the spotlight.
Michelle, 61, and Barack, 64, married in 1992 and have daughters Sasha, 24, and Malia, 27.
Representatives for the Obamas did not immediately respond to Page Six’s request for comment.
