As per the statement released by the spokesperson of former US House speaker Nancy Pelosi, she is set to skip US President elect Donald Trump’s swearing in ceremony. As per some reports, Pelosi is skipping the swearing in ceremony due to long-running feud with Trump. However, Pelosi’s spokesperson has not so far given any specific reason as to why is she skipping the swearing in ceremony.
During Trump’s previous presidency tenure, Pelosi led a chamber that impeached him twice, and she memorably ripped up a copy of one of his State of the Union addresses while standing behind him on national television. Pelosi did attend Trump’s first inauguration way back in 2017 wearing a button protesting Trump’s effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Pelosi and Trump clashed in weighty political struggles over government funding and his first impeachment. In person meetings between the two also featured fireworks, including when Trump refused to shake hands with Pelosi at his 2020 State of the Union address and then she tore up his speech. Animosity between the two leaders reached a fever pitch on January 6, 2021 when Trump’s supporters stormed the Capitol, and a rioter vandalized Pelosi’s office and posed for a photo with a boot on her desk.
External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar will represent India at Trump’s swearing-in with meetings planned with the incoming US administration. Trump’s inauguration will begin at 12 pm Eastern Time Zone (EST).