President Donald Trump
Donald TrumpNoem touts South Dakota coronavirus response, knocks lockdowns in CPAC speech On The Trail: Cuomo and Newsom — a story of two embattled governors McCarthy: 'I would bet my house' GOP takes back lower chamber in 2022 MORE did not mention his former campaign opponent, Hillary Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonMedia circles wagons for conspiracy theorist Neera Tanden The Hill's Morning Report - Presented by The AIDS Institute - Senate ref axes minimum wage, House votes today on relief bill Democratic strategists start women-run media consulting firm MORE, during his inaugural address Friday, despite her presence at the Capitol.
Following their heated 2016 campaign, the closest Trump came to a mention of Clinton was thanking her husband, Bill Clinton
William (Bill) Jefferson ClintonTrumpists' assaults on Republicans who refuse to drink the Kool-Aid will help Democrats The Jan. 6 case for ending the Senate filibuster Mellman: White working-class politics MORE, along with some of the other former presidents in attendance.
This is not entirely unusual.
Former President George W. Bush was the last to mention his defeated opponent during his first inaugural address in 2001: “As I begin, I thank President Clinton for his service to our nation, and I thank Vice President Gore for a contest conducted with spirit and ended with grace,” Bush said at the time.
But in 2005, Bush did not mention then-Sen. John Kerry
John KerryUN: Emission reduction plans 'fall far short' Climate change rears its ugly head, but Biden steps up to fight it Recapturing the spirit of Bretton Woods MORE (D-Mass.).
President Obama did not mention Sen. John McCain
John Sidney McCainCindy McCain planning 'intimate memoir' of life with John McCain Trump-McConnell rift divides GOP donors Arkansas state senator says he's leaving Republican Party MORE (R-Ariz.) or former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) in either of his inaugural addresses.
Trump’s omission did not go unnoticed in the media. CNN chief political analyst Gloria Borger said she expected some reference to the former Democratic presidential nominee.
"I was also surprised that, in some way, he did not pay some tribute to Hillary Clinton like I expected as George W. Bush did to Al Gore
Albert (Al) Arnold GoreAl Jazeera launching conservative media platform Exclusive 'Lucky' excerpt: Vow of Black woman on Supreme Court was Biden turning point Paris Agreement: Biden's chance to restore international standing MORE when they had a hard-fought fight,” Borger said. “I thought that would have been a unifying moment for him, but to me this was the Donald Trump we saw during the campaign, and saying, ‘I didn’t win, the American people won.’”
Trump did, however, acknowledge the Clintons later at the traditional lunch with lawmakers in the Capitol's Statuary Hall.
"I have a lot of respect for those two people," Trump said as Hillary and Bill Clinton received a sustained standing ovation from those present.
— Updated at 3:08 p.m.
