President Joe Biden will not attend the Tokyo Olympics this summer, the White House said, turning down an invitation by the Japanese government amid reports that first lady Jill Biden could lead the U.S. delegation in his place.
“The president is not planning to attend the games,” press secretary Jen Psaki said on Monday. She said that Biden would still “certainly be rooting for the athletes.”
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Despite Biden’s absence, a delegation from the United States would be in attendance “as we have historically had,” Psaki said.
The two countries are exploring possible arrangements for Jill Biden to attend the opening ceremony, the Yomiuri Shimbun Daily reported over the weekend, including a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga.
The first lady’s press secretary, Michael LaRosa, said the White House was weighing a visit but that nothing had been finalized.
Doing so would not be unusual.
In 2012, then-first lady Michelle Obama led the presidential delegation to the London Olympics. Former President Barack Obama skipped every Olympic Games during his time in office.
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The Summer 2020 Olympic Games were scheduled to take place in Tokyo last year but were postponed amid the spread of coronavirus. They are set to begin at the end of July.
