“The mood was wonderful, but it was also mixed,” she said on Good Morning America on Wednesday. All of the political guests, including Michelle and Barack Obama, George and Laura Bush, and Bill and Hillary Clinton, were “assured that things were under control,” which didn’t stop them from feeling a little uneasy that something unexpected could happen.
.@MichelleObama tells @robinroberts that the inauguration “was a glorious day.”: “To watch our friend Joe Biden and Jill stand there…to see Kamala…brave and bold, knowing that they were taking on a massive amount of responsibility to get this country back on track.” pic.twitter.com/ztB5fp8GuP
— Good Morning America (@GMA) March 3, 2021
The images of that day only two weeks prior was seared in their mind, and it’s natural to feel somewhat fearful about safety when so many former presidents are all together in one place. “When you see fellow Americans storming the Capitol, that sits with you. That reality was with us on that stage,” she admitted to GMA anchor Robin Roberts.
We all know the result was a peaceful one, but Michelle shared that what really gave her hope was seeing longtime colleagues and family friends, Joe and Dr. Jill Biden, take office. She understands the enormity of what was happening to them personally and professionally at that moment because she was standing in their shoes 12 years before.
She added, “But to watch our friend Joe Biden and Jill [Biden] stand there with their beautiful family, to see [Vice President Kamala Harris] and her family standing there, brave and bold, knowing that they were taking on a massive amount of responsibility to get this country back on track.”
It took a lot of courage for everyone to stand there that day in unity, but we appreciate Michelle being honest about her real experience being vulnerable on the stage on inauguration day.