South Florida Sun-Sentinel Palm Beach (Sunday)
First lady makes clear she tells president her ‘own opinions’
CAIRO — Melania Trump says she has, at times, told the president to put his phone down. And she says she doesn’t always agree with what he tweets.
The first lady spoke briefly with reporters Saturday as she was wrapping up a four-country tour of Africa with a visit to the pyramids and the Great Sphinx in Egypt.
Standing in front of the Sphinx, Mrs. Trump said she makes her opinions clear with her husband.
“I don’t always agree what he tweets,” she told reporters. “And I tell him that. I give him my honest opinion and honest advice. And sometimes he listens and sometimes he doesn’t. But I have my own voice and my opinions, and it’s very important for me that I express what I feel.”
As for whether she’s ever told him to put his phone down, she said, “yes,” with a laugh.
Melania Trump arrived Saturday in Cairo after a flight from Kenya.
She met with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah elSissi and his wife, Entissar Mohameed Amer, before heading to the nearby city of Giza to see the pyramids and Sphinx to highlight U.S.-backed preservation efforts.
The U.S. Agency for International Development has been working with the Egyptian government for the past several years on a project to lower groundwater levels to prevent additional damage to the landmarks. Saline content in the water can erode their foundations.
The first lady described her tour, which took her to Ghana, Malawi, Kenya and Egypt, as “amazing” and said she hoped people would talk more about her visit and less about her fashion choices.