Insiders recall moment Michelle Obama 'checked out' of the DC life as Trump's inauguration approaches

WASHINGTON, DC: Former First Lady Michelle Obama apparently "checked out" of the Washington, DC scene as soon as Donald Trump won the 2016 presidential election.

According to insiders, the 61-year-old distanced herself from the political drama that comes with life in the nation's capital. This comes amid reports that she won't be attending Trump's inauguration on Monday, January 20, and that she and Barack Obama are on the brink of divorce.

"She’s fed up with the political circus and pretending everything is OK with Barack all the time," a high-society source dished to Page Six, hinting at growing tensions within the Obama household.

Snubbing Donald Trump's second inauguration

Michelle Obama's decision to skip Donald Trump's second inauguration isn’t going unnoticed. "She’s always been very deliberate about where and how she shows up. She showed up reluctantly for the election. They were united, but she doesn’t have to unify around [Trump]. Her absence speaks volumes," another insider spilled. 

Her choice to sit this one out comes amid chatter that she’s still salty over Barack cozying up to Trump at Jimmy Carter’s funeral. The internet practically exploded when Barack and Trump were spotted laughing it up together, all while Michelle was conveniently MIA.

"She was furious at seeing her husband yukking it up with Trump," the source claimed.

And let’s not forget, this isn’t the first time Michelle has publicly snubbed Trump.

Remember 2018, when Michelle and Trump crossed paths at George HW Bush’s funeral? The seating arrangement alone had fans glued to their screens. The Obamas were sandwiched between Donald and Melania Trump on one side and Bill and Hillary Clinton on the other.

Michelle made headlines at the time when she gave Trump a rather awkward handshake and looked away shortly after.

Michelle also made it crystal clear in her memoir 'Becoming' that she holds nothing but disdain for Trump—largely due to his infamous "birther" conspiracy targeting Barack. "Donald Trump, with his loud and reckless innuendos, was putting my family’s safety at risk. And for this, I’d never forgive him," she wrote, labeling the MAGA spearhead "crazy and mean-spirited."

Divorce rumors escalate as Michelle and Barack Obama's past marital struggles surface

Michelle Obama’s DC retreat has only added to whispers that her marriage to Barack Obama is on shaky ground. After all, she didn’t just skip Jimmy Carter’s funeral—she was busy enjoying an extended vacation in Hawaii.

Meanwhile, the former president has been trying to squash the divorce rumors with some PDA.

Last week, he took to Instagram to post a gushy birthday tribute. "Happy birthday to the love of my life, @MichelleObama," Barack captioned a sweet photo of them holding hands at dinner. "You fill every room with warmth, wisdom, humor, and grace – and you look good doing it. I’m so lucky to be able to take on life’s adventures with you. Love you."

The Obamas have never shied away from opening up about the ups and downs of their relationship. Michelle has been candid about the "resentment" she felt during Barack’s rise to political stardom, especially as she had to put her own career on hold to raise their daughters.

Life in the White House didn’t make things easier. Between constant public scrutiny and the intense pressure to maintain their "perfect couple" image, cracks inevitably began to show. "There was so much pressure—needing to get everything right and be ‘on’ at every moment," Michelle previously shared.

For his part, Barack admitted to 'The Breakfast Club' that while things were tough, they never let their disagreements spiral into disrespect.

"We were pretty good even when things were tough, we never lost basic respect for the other person. We never thought that person was a bad person. We never said things that would make it seem that you completely disrespect me," he shared

"It was more, 'I love you, Barack, but this is driving me crazy,' or, 'I respect you, but...' I think that's what kept us 'cause we never doubted each other's intentions. Michelle is a remarkable woman. Even if she drives me crazy sometimes, I never thought that there was anybody who I would rather be with," Barack added.