Melania Visits Africa: Three Guesses What The Media(D) Are Talking About… The First Two Don’t Count
If you guessed ‘offensive wardrobe’… you’re right!
With everyone focussed on the Kavanaugh hearings circus, you may have missed the news that our lovely FLOTUS in Africa.
She’s on her first solo international trip as FLOTUS.
Here are a few of the highlights, as covered by those who were with her. See if you can see guess what set people off:
Here she is leaving:
.@FLOTUS boards her plane at Joint Base Andrews for her first solo Foreign trip to Africa. The First Lady begins her trip with a visit to Ghana on Tuesday. #flotusafrica #flotus pic.twitter.com/UTpCAPtSMT
— Doug Mills (@dougmillsnyt) October 1, 2018
In Ghana:
. @FLOTUS is greeted by the First Lady of Ghana and a young girl who presented her with flowers wrapped in a traditional kente cloth. (By the way, @FLOTUS red striped dress is by @Celine 🙋🏼♀️) pic.twitter.com/qLYu9lb1ja
— Kate Bennett (@KateBennett_DC) October 2, 2018
A sign at the Cape Coast Palace is hung to welcome @FLOTUS. “Akwaaba” means welcome Fante, the local language here on this part of the coast of Ghana. #FLOTUSinAfrica2018 pic.twitter.com/dAmRqMSpDQ
— Kate Bennett (@KateBennett_DC) October 3, 2018
.@FLOTUS looks up at the "Door of No Return" where slaves passed as they were brought out of the Cape Coast Castle in Ghana. FLOTUS said “The dungeons that I saw … what happened so many years ago, it’s really a tragedy.” #FLOTUSinAfrica2018 pic.twitter.com/f02EkVn9PS
— Doug Mills (@dougmillsnyt) October 3, 2018
(Nope. It’s not that. Keep scrolling.)
. @FLOTUS posts her photos from today's visit to Cape Coast Castle, including the wreath she laid at the Door of No Return. https://t.co/sAhbjiCyYc
— Kate Bennett (@KateBennett_DC) October 3, 2018
Malawi:
We are en route to Chipala Primary School, where 8,000+ students attend, with just over 75 teachers for all of them. @FLOTUS will donate 1.4 million textbooks today to Malawi schools as part of @USAID’s national reading program. Here’s my view of Malawi from the plane … pic.twitter.com/T9bNF2aZPe
— Kate Bennett (@KateBennett_DC) October 4, 2018
Also these are apparently the tote bags being given by @Flotus to the teachers here, filled with supplies, which they desperately need pic.twitter.com/7HAAjbPFZc
— Kate Bennett (@KateBennett_DC) October 4, 2018
.@FLOTUS talks with a little flower girl as she is given flowers during a welcoming ceremony as she arrived in Malawi. #FLOTUSinAfrica2018 pic.twitter.com/CPIoabqoN0
— Doug Mills (@dougmillsnyt) October 4, 2018
Kenya:
I have covered @FLOTUS for almost two years and have never seen her smile and laugh more than she is now with these baby elephants 🐘 pic.twitter.com/Cmbt9HpV6k
— Kate Bennett (@KateBennett_DC) October 5, 2018
. @FLOTUS gets out of her vehicle with a guide to look at the site of an ivory burn — done to discourage poachers. The mounds are ivory ash. She asked several questions and spent several minutes at the site, then signed the guest book. #flotusinafrica2018 pic.twitter.com/kk5drAOcon
— Kate Bennett (@KateBennett_DC) October 5, 2018
. @FLOTUS *dances* with the kids at Nest, entering the baby orphanage as they hold her hands and bring her inside pic.twitter.com/qWG8iNZsET
— Kate Bennett (@KateBennett_DC) October 5, 2018
. @FLOTUS has moved on to watch a dance performance at the National Theatre in Nairobi. Here’s a snippet of the opening number: pic.twitter.com/ZDHXtjVR5z
— Kate Bennett (@KateBennett_DC) October 5, 2018
It’s a busy trip, to be sure. It’s not over yet, either.
From there, she went to Egypt…
. @FLOTUS will meet with both President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi and First Lady Entissar Amer at the palace today. We have just arrived at the palace … and here’s a better shot of her outfit pic.twitter.com/1pIS18XDIR
— Kate Bennett (@KateBennett_DC) October 6, 2018
“Have you ever told him to put his phone down?” asks press to @FLOTUS, who smiles, pauses a beat and says, “Yes.” pic.twitter.com/7iaywIxZef
— Kate Bennett (@KateBennett_DC) October 6, 2018
So, now that you’ve seen a quick recap of her trip so far, can you spot what the shallow FLOTUS haters turned their attention to?
Here’s a tweet picked up by the NYT:
Melania Trump wearing a pith helmet on her trip to "Africa" is more than a silly sartorial choice. It's a reflection of her outdated understanding of Africa. (Also, she was photographed in safari attire multiple times on this trip.) #FLOTUSinAfricaBingo https://t.co/aCnkOnPBF8
— kim yi dionne (@dadakim.bsky.social) (@dadakim) October 5, 2018
And replies:
And now the love letters from adoring fans: pic.twitter.com/ntSV4HGp5c
— kim yi dionne (@dadakim.bsky.social) (@dadakim) October 6, 2018
We live in a world where Feminists complain that women are not treated as equals, with significant contributions of their own to bring to the world…
And every time a woman who doesn’t ‘quite’ fit their mold of what a strong woman ‘should’ look like, what do they do? They reduce her to a caricature, and dish about her clothing choices.
Would her critics have said anything this acidic about the LAST FLOTUS?
I swear she makes these trips for the fashion statements. And to escape her husband. https://t.co/ulxS4nuCcS
— Rick Gibbons (@rick_gibbons) October 6, 2018
Not a chance.
Sure, Mrs. Trump DOES look great in most of the outfits she wears.
But if you think that’s all there is to her, maybe it’s not the RIGHT that has a shallow view of women.