WhilePresident Donald Trumpprepared for his historic meeting with North Korean leaderKim Jong Un,Melania Trumpstepped out solo in Washington, D.C., on Sunday to serve as the honorary chair of the Ford Theatre’s annual gala celebrating President Abraham Lincoln.
The first lady gave remarks to conclude the gala, which included performances and awarded philanthropist Sheila C. Johnson and golfer Jack Nicklaus with the Lincoln Medal, an annual award given to people who have exemplified the character and legacy of the 16th president.
“I was honored to be part of such a special evening,” said Mrs. Trump, according to a White House press release. “Tonight reminds all of us about the power the arts have in cultivating the American voice. Thank you to Ford’s Theatre Society for tonight, and your continued dedication to education and leadership in the arts — the impact they have on society is invaluable and something we will continue to cherish throughout time.”
Sharing photos of her night out in the nation’s capital, the first lady wrote onTwitter, “Thank you @Fordstheatre & the talented performers for a special evening celebrating the arts & the legacy of former President Lincoln. Congratulations to @jacknicklaus & Sheila Johnson, the recipients of the Lincoln Medal!”
Melania Trump/Twitter
“She went through a little rough patch but she’s doing great,” he said. “The people of our country love you. Thank you, honey.”
The first lady stood solemnly beside her husband as he spoke, and pool reporters covering the event did not hear her speak. One reporter noted that Mrs. Trump, 48, was “looking well, like her old self, perfectly healthy from at least her outward appearance.”
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“She wanted to go,” he told reporters before boarding Marine One en route to Quebec. “Can’t fly for one month.”
President Trump landed in Singapore Sunday ahead of his sit-down with Kim Jong Un about Trump’s push for the nation to denuclearize. It’s set to be the first in-person encounter between a sitting U.S. president and a North Korean leader.
“I am on my way to Singaporewhere we have a chance to achieve a truly wonderful result for North Korea and the World. It will certainly be an exciting day and I know that Kim Jong Un will work very hard to do something that has rarely been done before…Create peace and great prosperity for his land,” Trump said in a series of tweets. “I look forward to meeting him and have a feeling that this one-time opportunity will not be wasted!”
The meeting was back on despite Trumptemporarily calling it offlate last month after a North Korean vice minister of foreign affairsslammed Vice President Mike Pence as a “political dummy.”
source: people.com
