‘MAGA Cult Hypocrisy’: Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary’s Attempt to Slam Michelle Obama for Skipping Inauguration Backfires As He’s Reminded Melania and Donald Trump Broke Protocol First
Throwing your support behind Donald Trump often requires a short memory. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, for one, apparently has forgotten that the incoming president called his wife ugly when the two squared off eight years ago for the Republican nomination.
Sometimes, that convenient memory is used to erase history, as “Shark Tank” judge Kevin O’Leary demonstrated Thursday when he chided former First Lady Michelle Obama for her decision to skip President-elect Trump’s inauguration Monday.
“This tradition has gone on for over 100 years,” said the investor, who’s become besties with Trump and has been spending considerable time at Mar-a-Lago since the election. “This is what presidents do and their wives on Inauguration Day.”
Yes, that’s true. But it seems as if this tradition was broken once before. Quite recently, actually, by another first lady and her husband, who just happened to be president and actually had power to transfer.
“Anyone tell him the tradition ended 4 years ago?” wrote Brian Krassenstein on X.
Yes, in 2020, mere weeks after a failed coup attempt to remain in office, the Trumps were no-shows at Joe Biden’s inauguration.
“This is the holiest day of politics,” continued O’Leary, seemingly lost in the fog of sycophancy. “It is the transition of power. You have to respect it. I don’t like what she’s doing here. I’m against it. I think it’s wrong.”
Obama has not explained why she won’t attend Trump’s second inauguration, though a supposed source close to the former first lady told People magazine she’s staying home “because she is “not one to plaster on a pleasant face and pretend for protocol’s sake.”
But that’s not a good enough excuse for O’Leary, who claims Obama’s absence “takes away from the institution of freedom and what the signal to the world is,” he said.
“The number one expert is the American Dream,” he said. “That’s why people come here. This messes with that.”
Social media users were dumbstruck by O’Leary’s selective indignation.
“Is this guy for real??“ asked @thegreeknyc on X. “Trump was no where to be found on inauguration day. And this is the same guy who said SBF was a genius and recommended FTX. Change your name to Mr Not So Wonderful,” referring to convicted fraudster Sam Bankman-Fried and his failed FTX cryptocurrency exchange.
“Show me the outrage from 2020 inauguration — I don’t recall seeing either Mr, or Mrs, Trump or your speaking out against it 4 years ago,” wrote Desert Vibes-Cheryl, also on X.
O’Leary later acknowledged, when pressed by a panelist, that Trump was also wrong for skipping Biden’s inauguration.
It’s certainly understandable why Michelle Obama doesn’t want to see the coronation of King Donald.
The relationship between her husband and Trump has been frosty from the start, beginning around 2010 when the real estate tycoon publicly questioned the authenticity of the then president’s birth certificate. Right-wingers ate it up even though it turned out to be a half-baked conspiracy theory with racist undertones.
Obama exacted some revenge at the 2011 White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, belittling Trump as the future president watched, diminished, from the crowd. The slights had an unintended effect, though, as Trump, according to some, decided that night to run for president.
He would end up succeeding Obama and would go on to baselessly allege his predecessor had “illegally spied” on him.
Just two months ago, Trump asked the crowd at one of his rallies if he was allowed to “hit (Michelle Obama) now” after the former first lady delivered a devastating takedown of the Republican nominee in her speech to the 2024 Democratic National Convention.
So there’s some history there, even though Michelle’s husband seems ready to move on, appearing downright chummy with Trump at former President Jimmy Carter’s recent funeral.