Well, isn’t this just the icing on the awkward, bipartisan cake? Former President Trump took the oath of office and laid out his agenda for the future in a fiery inauguration speech, and yet not one of the four living former presidents—Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, or Joe Biden—could be bothered to offer a public word of congratulations. It’s as if they all suddenly forgot how to issue a standard press release. Their silence, deafening as it is, speaks volumes about the swampy status quo Trump has promised to dismantle.
Let’s start with President Biden, who didn’t waste time rushing to the helicopter for his grand exit, leaving behind some parting words to his staff: “We’re leaving office, we’re not leaving the fight.” That’s about as gracious as a porcupine at a balloon party. Instead of using the moment to show a shred of unity, Biden made sure to remind everyone that his political battles are far from over. Guess old habits die hard.
Meanwhile, Bill Clinton couldn’t resist delivering his trademark smugness. When asked about Trump’s inauguration speech, he didn’t even attempt to hide his disdain, simply quipping, “I think you can figure it out for yourself.” Real classy, Bill. And speaking of the Clintons, Hillary couldn’t even stick around for the inaugural luncheon—perhaps she didn’t want to choke on her salad while hearing more of Trump’s plans to reverse the policies she and her allies championed. But hey, at least she got a laugh out of Trump’s tongue-in-cheek suggestion to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America. A joke, of course—but leave it to Hillary to sneer at the idea of American pride.
Check out the look on her face:
Siri… show me the face of bitterness. 🤣😂🤣😂
Hillary has to sit through a second President @realDonaldTrump Inauguration… AND she received no blanket preemptive pardon from Biden. Lord, please let a press camera stay fixed on Hillary’s face throughout the ceremony! 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/6By4bBjFIl— Strawberry Fields 🇺🇸🗽 (@Strawberry_Flds) January 20, 2025
Then there’s Barack Obama, who, let’s be honest, is always front and center when it comes to partisan theater. While Michelle Obama reportedly skipped the inauguration altogether—allegedly because she couldn’t “contain her disdain” for Trump—Barack showed up but didn’t exactly bring a warm welcome. Funny, though, how both Obama and Trump managed to share a laugh at Jimmy Carter’s funeral, even after years of bad blood. It’s almost as if political enemies can play nice when cameras are off, but when the stakes are high? Forget it.
Former President Barack Obama made a solo entrance into the Inauguration Day ceremony at the Capitol Rotunda as Michelle Obama opted to skip Trump’s swearing-in as the 47th U.S. president. Meanwhile, former Presidents Bush and Clinton arrived alongside their wives, marking a… pic.twitter.com/ObDvTdmHIY
— Fox News (@FoxNews) January 21, 2025
And let’s not overlook the latest moves by Biden as he slithered out of office. In true Biden fashion, he used his final moments as president to throw out a flurry of eleventh-hour pardons that had everyone scratching their heads. Members of the January 6th Select Committee? Pardoned. Anthony Fauci and Mark Milley? Pardoned. His own siblings and their spouses? Pardoned. Biden didn’t even try to hide the fact that these preemptive pardons were a blatant shield to protect his cronies and family from accountability. Talk about taking care of your own. This move only reinforces the very swampy culture Trump was elected to drain.
But leave it to Trump to hit back hard in his inaugural speech. Without naming names (because why bother?), he reminded everyone of the “horrible betrayals” that came before him and vowed to give Americans back their “faith, wealth, democracy, and freedom.” It’s clear he came into office swinging, taking immediate aim at Biden’s “last-minute moves” and signaling that his administration would focus on fixing the mess he inherited.
The contrast couldn’t be starker. Trump is all about action, making it clear that change is coming, while the former presidents sit quietly in their club of old-guard elites, watching nervously as the status quo they worked so hard to protect crumbles under the weight of Trump’s mandate. Their silence isn’t just disrespectful—it’s a perfect example of how disconnected they are from the millions of Americans who voted for real change. Trump’s presidency is a direct challenge to their legacy, and their refusal to acknowledge it only shows how out of touch they’ve become.
So, here we are. Trump takes the reins, unapologetically, with bold promises of reform, while his predecessors sulk in the shadows, issuing no statements and offering no olive branches. But if they think staying quiet will somehow make Trump go away, they’re in for a rude awakening. The Trump train has left the station, and it’s not slowing down anytime soon. Buckle up.
