Miles Bennett
Following the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia in February 2016, it was announced that President Barack Obama would not be attending his funeral. This sparked controversy, with some speculating that Obama would be golfing during the funeral instead. While the White House press secretary was questioned about Obama's plans, no clear answer was given. Ultimately, Obama chose to pay his respects during a visitation service the day before the funeral, while Vice President Joe Biden attended the funeral itself.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of Scalia's death | 13 February 2016 |
| Date of Scalia's funeral | 20 February 2016 |
| Obama's attendance at Scalia's funeral | Obama did not attend the funeral |
| Obama's reason for absence | Obama paid his respects during a visitation service the day before the funeral |
| Obama's plans on the day of the funeral | Obama had no public schedule on the day of the funeral |
| Obama's golfing plans | It was rumoured that Obama would be playing golf, but this was not confirmed |
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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 at the age of 79. A two-hour funeral service was held a week later, on the 20th of February, at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. President Barack Obama did not attend the funeral, sending Vice President Joe Biden and his wife Jill Biden, who shared Scalia's Catholic faith, to the services instead.
Obama's absence from the funeral sparked controversy and speculation. The White House confirmed that the president would pay his respects on Friday, the day before the funeral, during a visitation service in the Great Hall of the Supreme Court building. During a press briefing, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest was asked whether Obama's plans for Saturday "include golfing". Earnest did not deny the claim, instead stressing that the president believed it was important to honour Scalia's life and service.
Obama's decision not to attend the funeral was criticised by conservative news commentators, who viewed it as a snub to the conservative Supreme Court Justice. However, it is worth noting that presidents do not historically attend all funerals of Supreme Court justices, and Obama's absence may have been to avoid becoming the focus of attention during the funeral. Furthermore, people close to Scalia's family endorsed Obama's decision, and the president did not appear to have disregarded any traditions in the way he paid his respects. While the reason for Obama's absence remains unclear, it has been reported that he spent the weekend reading through dossiers and job histories of potential candidates for Scalia's replacement.
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Obama's plans to play golf
On 13 February 2016, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia passed away, leaving a vacancy in one of the most influential conservative jurist roles in modern history. The death of Justice Scalia sparked immediate political debate and speculation, with the White House announcing that President Barack Obama would not be attending the funeral. This decision was considered a "snub" and faced criticism from conservative news commentators.
Obama's absence from the funeral fueled rumors that he chose to play golf instead. During a White House press conference, Press Secretary Josh Earnest faced questions about the President's plans, including whether they included golfing. Earnest revealed that Obama and the First Lady, Michelle Obama, would pay their respects to Justice Scalia on Friday when his body lay in repose in the Great Hall of the Supreme Court building. He refused to comment on the President's Saturday plans, stressing the importance of honoring Scalia's life and service.
Obama's decision to skip the funeral was not unprecedented, as Presidents do not historically attend all funerals of Supreme Court Justices. Vice President Joe Biden, who shares Scalia's Catholic faith, represented the White House at the funeral. Obama's absence may have been a strategic choice to avoid becoming a distraction during the funeral, as his interactions with members of Congress could have drawn attention away from the memorials.
While the White House did not deny the possibility of golfing, there is no confirmation that Obama played golf during Scalia's funeral. The President's schedule for that Saturday was not publicly disclosed, and he may have spent the time reviewing dossiers and job histories of potential candidates for Scalia's replacement. Obama's decision to pay his respects on Friday and not attend the funeral itself was endorsed by people close to Scalia's family.
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Obama's reasons for skipping the funeral
While President Obama's decision to skip Justice Antonin Scalia's funeral was criticised by some, it is important to note that presidents do not historically attend all funerals of Supreme Court justices. Obama's absence from the funeral was endorsed by people close to Scalia's family, and Vice President Joe Biden, who shared Scalia's Catholic faith, attended the services instead.
Obama chose to pay his respects the day before the funeral, when Scalia's body lay in repose in the Great Hall of the Supreme Court building. This decision was likely influenced by the tricky optics of attending the funeral, where Obama would have been the subject of constant cutaways, potentially distracting from memorials for Scalia.
Obama's press secretary, Josh Earnest, was repeatedly questioned about the president's absence and whether he would be golfing instead of attending the funeral. Earnest refused to comment on Obama's Saturday plans, emphasising the importance of honouring Scalia's life and service.
While there was speculation that Obama's decision was a snub due to Scalia's conservative positions, it is worth noting that Obama did not appear to disregard any traditions in the way he paid his respects. Furthermore, Obama's absence from Scalia's funeral may have been influenced by the sensitive political climate at the time, as the possibility of replacing Scalia with a liberal justice caused concern among conservatives.
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Reactions to Obama's decision
President Obama's decision not to attend the funeral of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia sparked a range of reactions, with some criticising the move while others defended it.
Conservative commentators and news outlets were particularly vocal in their opposition to Obama's decision. For example, Megyn Kelly of Fox News stated that she found "no precedent for this in history," referring to a sitting US president not attending the funeral of a sitting Supreme Court justice. Kelly's comments reflect a broader sentiment among conservatives that Obama's absence was a snub or a sign of disrespect to Justice Scalia and his family. This sentiment was echoed by other conservative media outlets, such as "Truth Revolt," which reported on the White House's refusal to deny that Obama's Saturday plans included golfing.
In contrast, some people close to Scalia's family endorsed Obama's decision not to attend the funeral. Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, who shared Scalia's Catholic faith, attended the funeral services instead. Additionally, it is important to note that presidents do not historically attend all funerals of Supreme Court justices, and Obama is not the first president to miss such an event.
The decision also sparked speculation about Obama's motives and activities during the funeral. Some critics suggested that Obama's absence was due to his plans to play golf, a common weekend activity for him. However, these claims were never substantiated, and Obama's press secretary, Josh Earnest, refused to comment on the president's Saturday plans. Earnest emphasised that the president believed it was important to honour Scalia's life and service.
Obama's decision also highlighted the political implications of Scalia's death, particularly regarding the balance of power on the Supreme Court. With the possibility of Scalia being replaced by a liberal justice, Republicans vowed to filibuster any appointment made by Obama. This dynamic added complexity to the reactions surrounding Obama's decision, with some critics focusing on the potential impact on the court's ideological composition rather than solely on funeral etiquette.
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Obama's activities 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 press secretary, Josh Earnest, stated that the president would be joined by the first lady, Michelle Obama, who shared Scalia's Catholic faith. Earnest did not disclose Obama's plans for the day of the funeral, leading to speculation that he would be golfing. However, there is no evidence to support this claim, and Obama's decision to skip the funeral was endorsed by people close to Scalia's family. Obama's absence was not unprecedented, as presidents do not historically attend all funerals of Supreme Court justices.
Obama's decision to skip the funeral sparked criticism and political debate. Conservative news commentators, such as Megyn Kelly of Fox News, voiced their disapproval, claiming that it was unprecedented for a sitting U.S. president to miss the funeral of a sitting Supreme Court justice. However, Obama's press secretary, Josh Earnest, defended the decision, stating that Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, would be present at the services.
While Obama's exact activities on the day of the funeral are unknown, it is speculated that he spent the weekend reviewing dossiers and job histories of potential candidates for Scalia's replacement. Obama's absence from public events on that day also suggests that he may have had private engagements or chose to spend the day out of the public eye.
The decision to not attend the funeral was likely influenced by the political implications of Scalia's replacement. As a conservative justice, Scalia's potential replacement by a liberal justice caused concern among Republicans. Obama's absence from the funeral could have been a strategic move to avoid drawing attention to the political divide and the upcoming appointment of a new justice.
Overall, while there was speculation about President Obama's activities on the day of Antonin Scalia's funeral, there is no concrete evidence of his specific actions. His decision to pay his respects in advance and skip the funeral itself sparked controversy but was not unprecedented for a sitting president.
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Frequently asked questions
It is unclear whether Obama played golf during Scalia's funeral. However, there were speculations that he skipped the funeral to play golf.
No, Obama did not attend Scalia's funeral. Instead, he paid his respects during a visitation service the day before the funeral.
Obama's decision not to attend the funeral was endorsed by people close to Scalia's family. It was also noted that presidents do not historically attend all funerals of Supreme Court justices.
Obama's decision was criticized by conservative news commentators and sparked a political debate. A hashtag, #ObamaWouldAttendBUT, was also born out of the controversy.
