Summary

Former Presidents Obama, Clinton, and Bush, along with Hillary Clinton, will not attend Trump’s inaugural lunch. Bush did not receive an invitation.

However, all three former presidents and their spouses, except Michelle Obama, will attend Trump’s swearing-in ceremony.

The inaugural lunch, a tradition since 1897, typically includes speeches and toasts for the new administration.

None of the living former presidents endorsed Trump’s candidacy, with Obama and Clinton actively campaigning for his opponents.

    • nomy@lemmy.zip
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      1 day ago

      Sarcasm?

      The ruling class will face no harm, they’re all in the same club. They might tut tut and waggle their fingers but then they’ll retire to their gated communities.

      • whotookkarl@lemmy.world
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        1 day ago

        Maybe more facetious than sarcastic implying they may perish skipping a lunch, but I don’t think /f is a common shorthand yet like /s

  • mlg@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    About aa meaningful as Insider reporting “Watch Bush not talk to Trump at Carter’s funeral”

  • hesusingthespiritbomb@lemmy.world
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    1 day ago

    I do wonder if there’s something up with Michelle Obama. The inaugural stuff is one thing, but I find it odd that she skipped Jimmy Carter’s inauguration.

    • garretble@lemmy.world
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      1 day ago

      I bet she simply didn’t want to be anywhere near trump at Carter’s funeral. Same here.

    • ShinkanTrain@lemmy.ml
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      2 days ago

      They were never in the business of fighting fascism. Just look at the dictatorships they supported.

  • pyre@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    I guess Obama saw people’s reaction to him joking around with him like old pals during Carter’s funeral.

    • TechAnon@lemm.ee
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      Did you expect Obama (of all people) to be unkind at another man’s (let alone a former president’s) funeral?

      • pyre@lemmy.world
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        1 day ago

        wish, not expect. what i expected him to do was order another drone strike on brown children. you know for old times’ sake

  • leadore@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    Trump didn’t attend Biden’s inauguration, why should Biden feel he has to attend Trump’s? (I know this is about the lunch, but still). Obama and the Clintons should take a pass too. They think they have to go to somehow prove something like they’re not petty or that the country isn’t really falling apart or whatever, but all they’re proving is that they’re A-OK with the rise of fascism in the US. God I wish they’d show some spine just this once.

    • dhork@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      It makes sense, when you consider their roles in the Conservative Cinematic Universe. Obama and the Clintons are the heels, the side that is meant to lose the pro wrestling match, the one which his audience boos. He wants them there in his moment of triumph so he can (metaphorically, thank god) teabag them to thunderous applause.

      Bush is meant to be on his side, though, since Trump is meant to own the loyalty of the entire party. Since Bush did not immediately do so, he is actually worse. At least the Clintons are playing their assigned role. Bush is a traitor to the Party, which means he is a traitor to Trump personally, so Bush needs to be pushed to the margins. (Let’s hope that’s the extent of it.)

    • NatakuNox@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      Conservatives hate Bush. He was supposed to be their “First Trump” an idiot trust fund baby that’ll do everything they say. They wanted to fully occupy most of the middle east but Bush Sr told Jr no.

      • jaybone@lemmy.world
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        2 days ago

        He was Cheney’s puppet though. It’s interesting how decades later, on left leaning social tech platforms like Lemmy and Reddit (maybe earlier Reddit) how history seems to have recorded him (to some anyway) as the good Republican. As the nice guy. The guy you want to have a beer with.

        • Bronzebeard@lemm.ee
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          The “beer with” thing was part of his election campaign rhetoric. That was part of the Republican war on intelligence.