Melania Trump greeted a group of schoolchildren and exchanged hugs with them in the White House today at a Christmas event for kids from Joint Base Andrews, a military installation in Maryland, as the White House officially launched a month of Christmas celebrations and unveiled its holiday decor. One youngster asked as he embraced her, “Are you the first lady?” while another remarked about Melania Trump that “she seriously looks like an angel.”
According to The Hill, Melania received a “ rockstar-like welcome ” from the children as she entered the East Room of the official Washington, D.C., residence of the Trump family wearing a white Christian Dior dress.
Whether you are a fan or foe of the Trump administration, and putting politics and/or other forms of negativity aside for a moment perhaps, the interaction between Mrs. Trump and the kids seemed heartwarming, although the response from the social justice cohort on Twitter was somewhat different.
In addition to a group hug, the president’s wife also worked with the kids in making Christmas decorations. Melania Trump is celebrating 200 years of holiday celebrations at the White House under the theme of “Time-Honored Traditions,” which the White House says was designed by Melania herself.
The East Wing includes a tribute to military families, including a Gold Star Family Tree.
The White House has 100-plus receptions and similar events on the agenda in the month of December, and expects more than 25,000 visitors to go through the executive mansion on public tours.
Over Thanksgiving weekend, about 150 volunteers decorated the various rooms of the White House for the Christmas season.
“The White House said Mrs. Trump chose every detail of the decor and did a final check late Sunday after returning from the family’s Thanksgiving at their estate in Palm Beach, Florida,” AP reported. Unlike his predecessor, “Trump has vowed to put ‘Christmas’ [rather than Season’s Greetings] back at the center of the holidays,” AP added.
In a statement, Melania Trump said that “Like many families across the country, holiday traditions are very important to us. I hope when visiting the People’s House this year, visitors will get a sense of being home for the holidays,” CNN reported. “The President, Barron and I are very excited for our first Christmas in the White House.”
The White House Christmas tree, which contains ornaments representing all 50 states, is on display in the Blue Room.
A former model and businesswoman who was born in Slovenia and speaks five or six languages, Melania Trump, 47, married the future president in 2005 and became a U.S. citizen in 2006. She is the first naturalized citizen to become America’s first lady.
Watch the excited reaction below of a group of children as Melania Trump enters the East Room of the White House during today’s Christmas event.
“Are you the first lady?!” a boy asked as he embraced Melania Trump during a White House Christmas event.
“She seriously looks like an angel,” another child said https://t.co/mRDUlWZ3kl
— NBC News (@NBCNews) November 27, 2017
[Featured Image by Carolyn Kaster/AP Images]