Jackson Reid
Following the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, it was announced that President Obama would not be attending the funeral. This sparked controversy, with some speculating that he would be playing golf instead. Obama's press secretary was questioned about the president's plans, but he did not reveal any details about Obama's schedule for the day of the funeral. Obama did pay his respects to Scalia the day before the funeral, and it is not uncommon for presidents to miss the funerals of Supreme Court justices.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of Scalia's death | 13 February 2016 |
| Date of Scalia's funeral | 20 February 2016 |
| Obama's attendance at the funeral | Obama did not attend the funeral |
| Reason for absence | Obama paid his respects at a visitation service the day before the funeral |
| Obama's plans on the day of the funeral | Unknown; Press Secretary Josh Earnest did not disclose Obama's plans |
| Obama's golfing plans | Unknown; Press Secretary Josh Earnest did not confirm or deny |
| Comparison to previous presidents | Obama is not the first president to miss the funeral of a sitting justice |
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What You'll Learn
Obama's absence from Scalia's funeral
On the 13th of February 2016, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia passed away. A two-hour funeral service was held a week later, on the 20th of February. President Barack Obama did not attend the funeral, instead opting to pay his respects the day before during a visitation service in the Great Hall of the Supreme Court building. Obama's absence from the funeral sparked controversy, with some speculating that he chose to play golf instead. However, there is no evidence to support this claim, and Presidents do not historically attend all funerals of Supreme Court justices.
Obama's decision was endorsed by people close to Scalia's family, who understood the potential distractions that his attendance could cause. White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest addressed the media, stating that the president believes it is important to honor Scalia's life and service. He also revealed that Obama spent the weekend reviewing lengthy dossiers and job histories of potential candidates for Scalia's replacement.
While Obama did not attend the funeral, Vice President Joe Biden, who shared Scalia's Catholic faith, was present at the services. Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, attended the funeral alongside other dignitaries. Obama's decision not to attend the funeral generated criticism, particularly from conservative news commentators, who viewed it as a snub or an insult to the GOP. However, it is important to note that Obama did pay his respects to Scalia, albeit in a different form and at a different time.
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Obama's golfing plans
There were rumours that former US President Barack Obama snubbed the funeral of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, which was held on 20 February 2016, to play golf. Obama did not attend the funeral, with the White House announcing that he would instead pay his respects on Friday when Scalia's body lay in repose in the Great Hall of the Supreme Court building. Obama's decision was endorsed by people close to Scalia's family.
Vice President Joe Biden and his wife Jill Biden, who share Scalia's Catholic faith, attended the funeral services instead. White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest was asked whether Obama's plans for Saturday "include golfing", to which he responded that Obama believes it is important to honour Scalia's life and service. There is no evidence that Obama played golf on the day of Scalia's funeral.
However, on the Sunday following the funeral, Obama did play golf, as he often does when there is a break in the weather. Obama's golfing plans were the subject of much speculation and criticism, with some suggesting that he should have attended the funeral of a sitting Supreme Court justice. Obama's decision not to attend the funeral was also criticised by conservative news commentators, who noted that it was uncommon for a sitting US president to miss such an event.
While Obama's golfing plans during the weekend of Scalia's funeral are unclear, it is known that he spent time reviewing dossiers and job histories of potential candidates for Scalia's replacement on the Supreme Court. Obama's decision to miss the funeral may have been influenced by the tricky optics of paying his respects to Scalia, as his interactions with members of Congress during the funeral could have been a distraction from the memorials.
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Obama's tribute to Scalia
There was some controversy over President Obama's decision not to attend the funeral of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. Obama was the subject of much criticism, with some speculating that he would play golf instead of paying his respects. However, Obama's decision was not unusual, as presidents do not historically attend all funerals of Supreme Court justices. Obama paid his respects on the Friday before the funeral, when Scalia's body lay in repose in the Great Hall of the Supreme Court building. Vice President Joe Biden and his wife Jill Biden, who share Scalia's Catholic faith, attended the funeral instead.
Obama's press secretary, Josh Earnest, was repeatedly questioned about Obama's plans for the Saturday of Scalia's funeral. Earnest refused to disclose the president's plans, only stressing that Obama believed it was important to honour Scalia's life and service. Obama's absence from the funeral was endorsed by people close to Scalia's family. The president's decision was also supported by his press secretary, who stated that Obama did not fail to pay respect to Justice Scalia. Earnest also noted that Obama's attendance at the funeral would have resulted in constant cutaways to his reactions and interactions with members of Congress, distracting from memorials for Scalia.
While there was no public schedule for Obama on the day of Scalia's funeral, it was reported that he spent the weekend reviewing lengthy dossiers and job histories of potential candidates for Scalia's replacement. By Sunday, Obama was photographed playing golf. However, it is important to note that Obama is known to play golf when there is a break in the weather, and his decision to play golf on Sunday does not indicate a lack of respect for Justice Scalia.
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Obama's schedule on the day of the funeral
On the day of Antonin Scalia's funeral, President Obama did not attend the funeral service. Instead, he paid his respects the day before, during a visitation service in the Great Hall of the Supreme Court building. Obama's decision not to attend the funeral was endorsed by people close to Scalia's family, who felt his presence would have been a distraction from memorials for the late justice. Obama's absence was also in line with the tradition of presidents not historically attending all funerals of Supreme Court justices.
On the day of the funeral, Obama had no public schedule. However, there were speculations about his plans, with some sources claiming that he might play golf. These speculations were never confirmed, and Obama's press secretary, Josh Earnest, stressed that the president believed it was important to honour Scalia's life and service.
While Obama did not attend the funeral, Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, who shared Scalia's Catholic faith, were present at the services.
The day after the funeral, Obama was photographed walking from the Oval Office back to the Residence, carrying a large binder containing information on potential candidates for Scalia's replacement.
Two days after Scalia's funeral, the urge to put aside work and engage in leisure activities proved irresistible for Obama, as he was reported to have played golf on that Sunday.
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Previous presidents' attendance at justices' funerals
There is no evidence that President Obama played golf instead of attending Justice Scalia's funeral. Obama's decision not to attend the funeral was criticised by conservative news commentators, who claimed that it was unprecedented for a sitting president to miss the funeral of a Supreme Court Justice. However, Obama is not the first president to miss such a funeral, and presidents rarely attend the funerals of former first ladies. Obama chose to pay his respects during a visitation service the day before the funeral, and Vice President Joe Biden attended the funeral itself. Obama's press secretary, Josh Earnest, was repeatedly asked whether Obama's plans included golfing, but he did not answer directly, stressing instead that the president believed it was important to honour Scalia's life and service. Obama's decision was endorsed by people close to Scalia's family.
Presidential attendance at the funerals of Supreme Court Justices has been a topic of interest for many years. President Bush and first lady Laura Bush attended the funeral of Chief Justice William Rehnquist in 2005, with President Bush delivering a eulogy. President Dwight Eisenhower attended one of the two funerals for justices during his time in office. From 1946 to 2016, seven sitting justices died, and presidents attended three of the seven funerals. Obama was the only one of the four presidents during this time who did not attend at least one funeral.
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Frequently asked questions
It is unclear whether Obama played golf during Scalia's funeral. However, it was reported that Obama did not attend Scalia's funeral and instead paid his respects during a visitation service the day before.
Obama's decision not to attend Scalia's funeral was criticised by conservative news commentators. However, it is not uncommon for presidents to miss the funerals of Supreme Court justices. Additionally, Obama's presence at the funeral may have been a distraction from the memorials.
Yes, Obama's decision not to attend the funeral was criticised, with some speculating that he chose to play golf instead.
Yes, Obama attended the visitation service for Scalia and paid his respects at the Supreme Court on Friday.
