Melania Trump reappears in public
WASHINGTON — Melania Trump showed herself in public Wednesday for the first time in nearly a month, seated alongside her husband, President Donald Trump, for a briefing on the federal government’s preparedness for the hurricane season that began June 1.
The routine meeting at Federal Emergency Management Agency headquarters took on outsized significance after the White House revealed that Mrs. Trump would accompany her husband. Before Wednesday, she had not been seen off the White House grounds since May 10.
The first sighting of the first lady came as she and the president strolled down the walkway from the Oval Office and climbed into “the Beast,” his idling limousine.
Minutes later, Mrs. Trump took her seat alongside the president at one end of a long conference table as the FEMA briefing began, appearing to be her usual self.
“She’s doing great. She went through a little rough patch, but she’s doing great,” Trump said at the top of the meeting, surrounded by members of his Cabinet as several governors and other officials participated by video conference. “And we’re very proud of her. She’s done a fantastic job as first lady.” First lady Melania Trump applauds as the president speaks to employees at the Federal Emergency Management Agency headquarters Wednesday. She had not been seen off the White House grounds since May 10.
The first lady smiled and nodded as her husband and others spoke during the portion of the briefing that was open to journalists. She and the president later spent a few minutes greeting FEMA employees. Mrs. Trump stepped with ease, smiled and was heard telling one worker “thank you very much.”
It was her first appearance away from the White House since she and the president traveled to Joint Base Andrews to welcome home three Americans who had been released from detention in North Korea.
Several days later, the first lady underwent a procedure to treat a kidney condition. She spent five days in the hospital before returning to the White House on May 19 to continue her recuperation.
But speculation mounted as week after week passed without a public appearance, spawning wild theories about where she might be and what might have happened to her.
Earlier this week, the first lady participated in a White House event for military families. Journalists were not allowed to cover the event out of respect for the families, meaning Mrs. Trump was seen only by those who attended.
But video posted on Twitter showed the first lady strolling into the East Room accompanied by the president. She later tweeted photos from the event that showed her sitting next to the president.